Sundays were supposed to be simple - sunlight through the curtains, the smell of pancakes, my mom humming to an old song in the kitchen.
But that morning, there was something in the air i couldn't name - a kind of stillness that clung to everything, like the world was waiting for something to happen.
I stood in front of my mirror, adjusting the hem of my brown vintage long skirt. I wore a white shirt to go with it. It was one of my favorite outfits - simple but soft, the kind that made me feel like I belonged in an old painting. After brushing my hair and letting it flow down my back, I slid on my black loafers and clasped my mother's necklace around my neck. The small silver chain always felt warm, like it carried pieces of her comfort with it.
Downstairs, my family was already awake. The smell of coffee and maple syrup filled the air. My little sister, Eva sat on the counter with chocolate smeared on her face. While my brother Mateo was flicking through TV channels like the world was boring him to death.
"Janine, you're going out again?" Mom asked, her voice gentle but teasing.
"Yeah," I said, biting into a slice of toast. "It's Sunday - you know what that means. Pie day with Aunt Georgia."
Mateo smirked. "You mean Alex day."
I threw him a glare that made Mom laugh.
Dad looked up from his newspaper. "Tell Georgia I said she should make some pie for us too. And please don't sprint across the street like last time."
"I'll walk," I said, already heading to the door.
"Sure you will," Mateo muttered under his breath.
"Love you all!" I called, shutting the door before Mom could remind me to eat properly.
Outside, the morning air was soft and golden. The streets of the French quarter were half awake, the sunlight spilling lazily across old rooftops. It smelled like bread and coffee and something faintly nostalgic - the kind of morning that felt almost too peaceful. I was headed to Garden district where the Elms mansion was located. Alex's house.
The Elms always looked like a dream - tall columns, wide porches, and sprawling gardens that smelled faintly of rain and lavender. Usually, i'd find Alex waiting outside with that boyish grin that still made my stomach flutter even after seven months. But today, the porch was empty.
I checked my phone - no message. Maybe he was with Aunt Georgia in the kitchen.
I pushed the door open and walked inside, balancing the small basket of peaches i'd brought along. The front door was slightly ajar, which was unusual.
"Hello?" I called softly, stepping inside.
Silence answered.
The house felt different - quieter, heavier somehow. The smell of cinnamon and cedarwood lingered faintly in the air, and sunlight streamed through the tall windows, cutting the room into gold and shadow.
And then I heard it - slow, steady footsteps from the hallway.
When he appeared, I forgot to breathe.
He was tall - impossibly so - with broad shoulders that filled the doorway. His hair was black and silky, one rebellious strand falling over his forehead in a way that looked almost deliberate. His jawline was sharp, his mouth set in a quiet, thoughtful line. But it was his eyes that caught me - deep emerald green, cool and intense, like they could see right through me.
He looked... magnetic. Beautiful, but in a dangerous way - like the kind of man artists tried to paint but never got right.
I blinked, startled out of my thoughts.
"Oh-um, hi! Sorry, I didn't mean to walk in uninvited. I'm- I'm just waiting for Alex. We usually help Aunt Georgia make pies on Sundays."
For a heartbeat, he just looked at me, like he was trying to place me in a memory he couldn't quite reach. Then, slowly, a faint smile curved his lips.
"Alex," he said, his voice low - the kind of calm that vibrated quietly in the air.
"You must be Janine."
The way he said my name made my heart twist.
I blinked. "You know my name?"
His smile deepened slightly. "Mrs Georgia mentioned you."
"Oh," I said quickly, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. "I'm Janine Flores. And you are-?"
He paused, as if deciding how much to tell me. Then quietly, "Lucas. You can call me Lucas."
Lucas.
The name rolled in my chest like it meant something i didn't yet understand.
He gestured to the sitting room, and for some reason, I followed - like my feet moved before my thoughts caught up.
The room was warm, sunlight spilling across the wooden floor. He leaned slightly against the mantel, casual but composed, like someone who didn't need to fill silence with words.
"So..." I said, fidgeting with the hem of my sleeve. "Are you visiting? Or- do you live around here?"
He tilted his head, studying me. "You could say I'm home again after a long time."
There was something in the way he said it - quiet, domineering, almost haunted.
"I see," I murmured. "Then... welcome home, I guess."
That made him smile - not the polite kind, but the real one that softened his whole face. For a moment, I forgot to look away.
He nodded towards my basket. "You brought peaches."
"Oh- yeah," I said, relieved at the normal topic. "Aunt Georgia says they make the pies taste more like summer."
"Smart woman," he said, his gaze briefly lowering to the silver charm around my neck. That's a pretty necklace."
I touched it unconsciously. "It was my mom's."
His eyes lingered a second longer than they should have. "She has good taste."
Before I could reply, the front door opened suddenly, followed by the familiar jingle of keys hitting the floor.
"Dad?"
Alex's voice froze me.
I turned.
Alex stood by the door, sunlight catching his golden-brown hair, his steel grey eyes flickering between me and the man beside the fireplace.
My heart thudded as realization hit me.
Dad?
I turned back towards Lucas, whose gaze didn't waver - calm, composed and suddenly heavy with the truth i hadn't seen coming.
"You- you're his-"
"Father," Lucas finished softly, his tone unreadable.
My mouth went dry. "I-I didn't know- forgive me but you look so-"
"Young," he said gently, his lips curling into a knowing smile. "It's alright... It's an interesting way to meet, don't you think?"
I forced a shaky laugh. "Yeah... I guess so."
Alex looked between us, still half stunned. His lips pressed together uncertain of what to say.
"I wasn't expecting you today," Alex finally said, voice low, carrying the weight of years he hadn't said aloud.
"I decided to come a bit earlier", Lucas replied evenly, green eyes flicking towards him for only a moment. "I thought it might be better this way."
Alex nodded slowly, quiet as if weighing his father's words. He didn't move closer.
"You're really big now, look at you. Georgia has indeed been taking care of you well as expected", Lucas said.
"Ah yes, she's more like my mother now". Alex replied faking a smile.
Lucas eyes dimmed as if reminded of something in the past.
The tension in the air was quite alive. When Mrs Georgia appeared from the kitchen, all smiles and excitement, the moment broke.
"Gabriel!, I see you've met Janine already." She exclaimed.
"Yes," he said, eyes briefly on me. "We've been properly introduced."
I swallowed trying to look anywhere but him.
"Alex my dear, have you hugged your father." Aunt Georgia said.
"There's no need for that," Lucas replied quickly before Alex could say anything.
I looked back at Alex and saw the expression on his face, as if he wasn't expecting anything less.
I sat there, caught between them, my chest tight. Lucas calm presence, the way he carried himself and the subtle glance he had cast at me moments before lingered in the air. Making the air feel smaller, hotter, like every breath I took was charged.
Lucas's gaze flickered to me once once more. "We'll be having a small welcome dinner this evening. I'd like you to come, Janine."
I blinked, still processing everything. "Me?"
"You're practically family now aren't you?" He said, faintly smiling.
Alex still silent, watched as the tension hang in the air, his posture stiff but not unkind.
"Typical, " he scoffed and walked away going towards his room.
"Alex?," I shouted. "I'm sorry", i said softly to Lucas, forcing a smile while going after Alex.
Something whispered inside me that tonight would be different.
Because for the first time, I realized something that unsettled me more than anything - the room had changed, even in these few minutes. Everything felt... different.