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Chapter_293
Ludwik’s hand froze in mid-air, his fingers hovering over the cigarette he had absentmindedly picked up. The question hit him like a sudden gust of wind, unsettling his carefully constructed exterior. Sammy’s innocent inquiry had cracked the shell of cold indifference Ludwik had worked so hard to maintain.
For a moment, Ludwik said nothing, his eyes staring out the window, watching the scenery blur by. The car was silent except for the faint hum of the engine, and Sammy’s question hung in the air, unanswered.
Did he once love Whitney deeply? The question was both simple and impossible to answer.
Ludwik’s thoughts spiraled back, a thousand memories flooding his mind. The warmth of their early days together, the shared laughter, the tenderness that had once existed between them, before betrayal had twisted everything into something unrecognizable. Had he loved her? In those moments, he had. But that love… it felt so distant now. So fragile and broken.
He took a sharp breath, trying to steady himself, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. He wanted to say something—anything—but words failed him. His son was watching him with those big, wide eyes, searching for some kind of clarity, something to explain the turmoil he had grown up around.
“Sammy,” Ludwik’s voice was low, almost a whisper, his grip tightening on the wheel. “I… I thought I did. But sometimes, love isn’t enough. People change. And so do feelings.” His words were careful, measured, the weight of his past and present pressing down on him with every syllable. “Maybe I loved your mother once, but it was never as simple as that. You’ll understand when you’re older.”
Sammy was silent for a moment, processing his father’s words. His small brows furrowed as he tried to make sense of the complex emotions swirling around them.
“But what about me, Dad?” Sammy asked, his voice small but serious. “Do you love me?”
Ludwik’s eyes flickered to the rearview mirror, meeting his son’s gaze. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, a faint trace of warmth appeared in his eyes. “Of course I do,” Ludwik said softly, his voice steady despite the storm of emotions roiling inside him. “You’re my son. And no matter what, that will never change.”
Sammy nodded, though the shadows of confusion still lingered in his eyes. He had heard his father’s words, but he wasn’t sure they really answered his question. Still, he didn’t push.
As they pulled up to the daycare, Ludwik turned off the engine. The large building loomed ahead, its bright colors almost mocking the darkness of the conversation that had just passed between father and son. Ludwik sat for a moment, hands still gripping the wheel, lost in his thoughts. Sammy, noticing his father’s sudden stillness, spoke up again.
“Are you going to be okay, Dad?”
Ludwik turned his head slowly, his eyes locking with Sammy’s. For a brief moment, his stoic expression faltered, a flash of vulnerability crossing his face before he masked it again.
“I’ll be fine, Sammy,” he replied, his voice quieter this time, a flicker of sadness in his tone.
Sammy didn’t seem convinced but didn’t say anything more. He knew when to leave his father be, especially when the man’s emotions were this tangled.
Ludwik exhaled slowly, then pushed the door open. “Let’s get you inside,” he said, trying to regain some semblance of normalcy.
As they stepped out of the car, Sammy glanced up at his father once more, still wondering about the deep and complicated emotions swirling inside him. And Ludwik? He couldn’t help but wonder if he was losing everything that once mattered—his love, his son, his family. But there was no going back now. The choices he had made had led him to this moment, and the road ahead, though uncertain, was all that remained.
