VANESSA
"I'm bored."
Fabian's declaration punctuated the quiet of my office where Liam and I had been reviewing spreadsheets for the past hour. My son had been remarkably patient, sitting in the corner with his tablet, but his tolerance had clearly reached its limit.
I glanced up from the budget projections for the Foundation's new outreach program. "We're almost done, sweetheart."
Liam smiled warmly at Fabian. "Just fifteen more minutes, buddy. Then we can do something fun."
Fabian's eyes narrowed slightly at Liam's use of the word "buddy." My son had made it abundantly clear that while he tolerated Liam's presence in our lives, he wasn't interested in forming any real bond with him.
"I want to race," Fabian announced, sitting up straighter. "On bikes."
"Bikes?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow. Fabian hadn't shown interest in his bike for months.
"Yeah." He hopped off his chair and approached Liam directly. "I bet I can beat you in a race."
