Chapter 13
The pale morning light of Sunday filtered gently through the large windows of the modern suburban house, signaling the dawn of a completely new reality for everyone under its roof. Upstairs, eight-year-old Leo woke up in his new bedroom, blinking sleepily against the bright sunshine before remembering where he was. He reached under his pillow, pulling out the worn, faded photograph of a younger Jax holding him outside the hospital, and smiled softly to himself. Downstairs in the kitchen, the smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the air as Jax stood by the counter, quietly flipping pancakes on a skillet while Martha sat at the dining table reading the Sunday paper.
Eleanor walked into the kitchen a few moments later, looking noticeably less rigid than she had the day before. She stopped near the island, watching Jax effortlessly tend to breakfast while moving with a quiet, practiced grace that defied her lingering stereotypes of who he was. Jax turned around, catching her eye, and offered a polite, respectful nod without a trace of defensiveness. "Coffee's fresh," Jax said quietly, pointing toward the pot on the counter. Eleanor hesitated for a brief second before walking over and pouring herself a cup, leaning against the counter just a few feet away from the towering biker.
"If you're going to be living three blocks from us," Eleanor said, her voice measured and devoid of its previous venom, "we need to establish some ground rules. No disappearing acts. No sudden road trips without telling David or me. And you make sure that boy eats his vegetables." Jax let out a genuine, low chuckle, the tension finally evaporating completely from his broad shoulders. "Deal, Eleanor. You have my word. No more running." As if on cue, little Leo bounded down the grand staircase, his oversized jacket left behind in his room, wearing a clean shirt and a wide, hopeful smile as he ran straight into the kitchen toward the smell of pancakes. Martha looked up from her paper, watching the young boy wrap his small arms around Jax's waist, and smiled a warm, peaceful smile that reached all the way to her eyes.
