The Unveiled Rose

The only place Zachary wanted was the house filled with memories of him and Annalise.

Steven replied, "When I bought that house, I put it directly under your name."

Zachary hadn't expected this at all, and he blinked in surprise. Steven always bought properties under his own name. Even during the divorce, there were barely any assets under Annalise's name. Back then, she had been so hurt that she didn't want anything-she just wanted to leave.

If this house was under his name, it must have been because Annalise fought for it.

Zachary's chest tightened, and his eyes stung. She had been thinking of him even when he didn't realize it.

"Thank you, Daddy," he said softly.

After hanging up, he turned to Harry and said, "You can move in with me, but you can't touch Mommy's things. Can you do that?"

Harry nodded. "No problem."

Having gotten Harry's reassurance, he relaxed slightly.

When the car pulled up to Chloe's house, he called out to Harry and Hannah to help him.

Chloe greeted them with a warm smile. "Zach, you're back!"

"Yeah," Zachary replied, uncertain of how he should face Chloe. "I've been here long enough, and I don't want to trouble you any more. It's time for me to go home." Chloe's smile didn't falter. "Take care and be sure to get along well with your dad."

Zachary didn't respond directly, and he simply muttered, "We'll see."

Since he hadn't stayed at Chloe's for long, there wasn't much to pack. With Harry and Hannah's help, his things were quickly gathered.

Once he bid Chloe goodbye, Zachary headed straight back to the house he and Annalise had once shared. The moment he stepped inside, it felt like time had frozen.

Everything was just as he had left it. Dust coated the furniture, but the memories remained untouched.

Harry and Hannah carried his things to the living room.

Zachary unpacked his clothes and placed them neatly in the wardrobe. He then turned to Hannah and said, "If you're renting too, you could move in here. There's plenty of space." Hannah stared at him in disbelief. "Me?"

"Yeah," Zachary replied in a childish tone. "If you don't want to move in, that's okay. We won't force you."

Hannah eagerly nodded. "I'll come!"

Zachary continued, "You can set up your bedroom however you like, but the living room should stay as it is. When Mommy left, it looked just like this, and I don't want it to change too much. That way, I can pretend Annalise is still here with me." Both Hannah and Harry nodded in agreement.

After Zachary returned to his room, he lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

The room still seemed to hold Annalise's presence. He hugged a stuffed toy, pressing his round, chubby face against its soft belly.

"Mommy, can you sing me the bedtime lullaby?" he whispered.

Yet, no one answered.

Then, Zachary pulled out his tablet. While staying at Chloe's house, Annalise had sent him a voice message. He clicked on it, and her gentle voice filled the room.

"Twinkle, twinkle little star, how my baby misses Mommy..."

Zachary closed his eyes as his mind consumed with thoughts of Annalise. He tried to convince himself that she was still with him, but deep down, he couldn't stop the tears from falling.