Annshera’s mind couldn’t make sense to this. She put Florian, her baby in the bed. Yet how could she not notice how the man infront of her was looking at her. Nobody looked at her this way, except Florian. This genuine unconditional love she could see in her baby boy’s eyes, she was seeing the exact same thing in “Julian” eyes. In the botton of her heart, Annshera could feel she loved him. It was him, it was unexplainable but it was her son. She sat next to him and put her hands on his cheeks.
“It’s you, my baby is that you ? My baby boy, my Florian ?”
“Yes it’s me Mother. I… I missed you so much.”
“Florian, oh Florian !”
They threw themselves at each other’s arms. They hugged very tightly and closed their eyes forgetting about everything around them. His mother tears were flooding Florian’s top. He smiled while playing with his mother’s hair with his fingers.
“What are you doing with my wife ?!”
Adult Florian heard his father voice and was very amused by the particularly hostile look Aymeric gave him. He invited Aymeric to join them with a gesture of the hand.
“Come Father !”
Aymeric approached his family quite shocked and suspicious. His wife softly put her hands on her husband’s leg.
“Aymeric, it’s Florian. It’s our baby. I can’t explain but it’s him. I can feel it. I can feel it in my heart.”
“But… Florian is 2 and this… man is an adult… Annshera we put Florian on his bed. I just visited him… I… How ?
“I came from the future, your future, to visit you. I just wanted to see you both. I miss you, I missed you both so much !”
Florian nestled against his mother, this night had been a lot of emotion for him but he was relieved to have told his parents the truth and be able to find comfort in their presence. Annshera had a tender smile and cradled him in her arms just as she would do with her baby.
“It’s okay my love, you are with Mummy now. Mummy is here.”
Aymeric was completely astonished by the scene that was taking place in front of him. Annshera truly decided to believe in this. He pictured their sweet baby, running in the house, playing on his playground, joyfully babbled in his arms. It was him, Florian. As hard as it was to believe it, he decided to accept it as well. Struggling to refrain his tears, he joined his wife and son in their embrace.
The day after this reveal, they came to an agreement to give all their servants vacation to stay between them and protect their secret. Baby Florian was excited, he smelled the persimmon cake in the kitchen. He started bouncing and made a lot of noise. Aymeric and his grown up son from the future shared a knowing gaze. Florian ran to the kitchen and hugged his mother.
“Is the cake ready already mother ?!”
Annshera laughed at her son excitement. Some things never change.
“Florian please be patient my love. Don’t tell me you are still into persimmons ?!”
“Mother!It’s the best fruit in the world ! Give me one.”
“Florian ! Wait for the cake my love. It’s almost ready.”
“Let me taste, Mother !”
Florian took a knife on the kitchen cupboard. Annshera panicked and screaming forgetting that this Florian wasn’t a baby and that he fully had the ability to hold a knife without risks. Florian put the knife on the table and reassured his mother.
“Mother it’s fine. Calm down okay.”
“Excuse me, I… You’re not a baby haha. The cake will be ready in a few minutes. Go talk to your father my love. Why are you avoiding him ?”
“I’m not avoiding him, he’s giving me the cold shoulder.”
“Talk to him okay ? I’ll take care of you, the baby you. The knife Florian.”
Florian put away the knife as his mother requested and suddenly he laughed out loud.
“Honestly all those years and you are still putting everything at the same place in the kitchen. I can’t say if it’s reassuring or creepy but it’s fun for sure. I’ll talk to Father. Love you !”
***
Annshera gave a slice of persimmon cake to both Florian who were eating with the exact same enthusiasm. Once the baby finished his slice, Annshera went upstairs with him leaving the two de Borel men alone. Aymeric was avoiding Florian’s eyes, the son was a little sad and annoyed about his father distance. He knew exactly why but he wanted to let his father speak first. Aymeric finally initiated the conversation, looking his son right into the eyes.
“You know the truth about the circumstances of your birth ?”
Florian put his hand on his chin and stared at his father.
“If I know that I am a bastard, yes.”
Aymeric’s face immediately contorted itself. A part of him always feared this conversation but he never expected it to happen this way, it was always in a very distant future for him. Aymeric was worried this version of Florian loved his mother more than him. Maybe knowing the truth would make his son loving him less, he always worried about. His legs were shaking under the table. He didn’t like Florian referring himself as a bastard, it truly hurt his feelings.
“You’re not a bastard !”
“Well I’m a child born out of marriage, that’s what a bastard means.”
“Do not call yourself a bastard !”
“Okay, okay… Always a pleasure to chat with you I see…”
A shiver went through Aymeric’s skin. He had the intuition that his relationship with Florian deteriorated on his son timeline and this exchange more or less confirmed it. He sighted worried and continued his investigation.
“Who told you ?”
“No one. I guessed it somehow. Not the entire and exact story but I had suspicions. I confronted you about it and you didn’t deny. You know many things simply didn’t add up. Grandfather Edmont being neither your father or Mother’s father. Why those silver hair while you have black hair and Mother has red hair. Why growing up I didn’t physically look like you. I spent a lot of time, looking at myself in the mirror, searching for your nose, your eyes, any of your physical features in my face but I couldn’t find any. Not find any resemblance between us had been difficult to deal with and shook my confidence. I wanted to look like you so much and it gave me the feeling something was wrong. I first assumed Uncle Estinien was my biological father because we have the same hair color and Aunt Claire always relentlessly claimed he had an affair with Mother but there was no way you would have agreed to raise me otherwise.”
Florian had a nervous laughter. He was obviously quite moved about this story. Stunned, his father kept contemplating him, concerned but proud about how opened about his feelings Florian was.
“I learned the truth and it simply made me love you more. You love Mother so much that you agreed to raise a child that wasn’t yours because you couldn’t imagine your life without her. I have a lot of respect for what you did for me. You have been very brave Father, all those years. You are my father. Don’t doubt of it. I love you, I will always love you. I also came in this timeline for you. Not only for Mother. I love you both equally.
Aymeric couldn’t contain his tears any longer. He never felt anything but love for Florian. As soon as he came to this world he loved him with the bottom of his heart. The he wanted other children with Annshera and make her pregnant but it didn’t change the fact he genuinely loved Florian. He was happy to know that the truth wouldn’t change anything for his son.
“We’re all very emotional in this family haha !” laughed Florian tearing up as well.
“Yes my son, we are.”
Annshera happily watched the two men of her life bonding and laughing together. She wanted al her family to enjoy this living dream. She couldn’t help but have so much more questions for her adult son, especially about his affiliation with Garlemald. Florian couldn’t be a bad person but she remembered those Magnums were special gifts from the Imperial royal family to people they truly valued. Therefore she was wondered what kind of activities Florian was doing to have such connections ?
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