"Can I tell you to do something for me?" Kayden asked carefully, his eyes searching Thaddeus's as though testing how far his request could go.
Thaddeus leaned back, studying him with a half-smile, waiting. "I'm listening."
"Daddy," Kayden called softly, almost like a plea.
"Yes, Kay," Thaddeus replied, his voice steady but gentler than before.
Kayden's lips opened, but hesitation lingered. He lowered his gaze, then finally looked back up with a mix of determination and vulnerability. "Can you just come out to my father, that you and that woman are nothing?"
Kayden shifted on Thaddeus's lap, his fingers nervously playing with the older man's shirt buttons as though searching for courage in the small act. His eyes softened, but there was still a trace of hesitation.
"What do you mean, Kayden?" Thaddeus asked in a calm, low voice, tilting his head slightly to catch Kayden's expression.
