Chapter 95: May the best man wins

Clancy had taken the drawing that Daniel made for him to his office. He realised that it was better to have it there than in his hotel’s night stand that had cleaners going in and out of. Anything could happen to it.

And it was also because he realised that he spent most of his day in the office or in Selen’s home with the kids. And since he was not an occupant in the home, his office had to do it.

He smiled and rotated his phone, angling the camera toward the table so they could see the drawing resting proudly next to the laptop. "Right there," Clancy said softly. "It was the first thing I saw when I woke up this morning, and it’s the best decoration this office has ever had." He said.

Daniel’s face lit up with absolute pride.

From the edge of the frame, Diana slid into view. She did not crowd the camera like her brothers, but her eyes were fixed on Clancy with a quiet intensity.

He listened as the three of them took turns narrating their day, interrupting each other and laughing, completely filling his quiet office with their warmth. He looked at the screen, then at the drawing on his table, knowing that no matter where his work or his driver took him, he was no longer alone.

***Days later***

Newton sat on the stool in Newton’s kitchen as they caught up. They had both been so swamped with work recently that their only mode of communication was through texts. On this day, Newton and Selen had found a mutually free day to meet up in his home.

That was the first time for Selen to be in Newton’s home and she felt bad that she was just finding out where he lived even though he could get to hers with a blindfold on.

"Your home is really beautiful, Newton" she praised him for the second time since she arrived. Newton smiled at her compliment and thanked her once again, but beneath that effortless, practiced smile, a familiar tightness gripped his chest.

"I try to keep it comfortable," Newton said, turning his back to her for a brief moment as he poured two mugs of steaming tea. He focused intently on the stream of water, using the task to steady his breathing.

He was not a man who raged. He did not slam cabinets or raise his voice. His jealousy was a quiet, suffocating thing, an internal ache that pulled tightly at the corners of his mouth and made his chest feel hollow.

He set the mug down in front of her, leaning against the marble countertop. "But honestly, it usually feels a bit too quiet around here. Having you here makes it actually feel like a home." he said to her.

Selen offered a soft, slightly wistful smile as she wrapped her hands around the warm ceramic. "I still can not believe it took me this long to see it. You have been one of my anchors through everything ever since I met you, Newton.

You know the exact layout of my chaotic house, and you have helped me wrangle the kids more times than I can count. Meanwhile, I did not even know what color your kitchen cabinets were." she said.

"Hey, don’t do that," Newton replied softly, forcing his voice to remain smooth. He reached out, giving her hand a brief, reassuring squeeze before pulling back.

"You have been raising three beautiful, energetic kids and managing a life that’s constantly moving. You did not need to host me. Coming over to your place, being part of that beautiful chaos, that was my escape, too." he said truthfully.

"Was," he thought bitterly. Past tense. Because lately, that chaos had a new coordinator.

Selen sighed, the warmth of the tea and his comforting words melting away the lingering tension in her shoulders. "It is not an obligation. It’s just that things are changing so fast, Newton. For all of us." she said.

Newton watched her closely, noting the soft, faraway look in her eyes. He knew her well enough to read between the lines. "You mean Clancy?" he asked gently, keeping his voice entirely neutral, a perfect mask of casual curiosity.

Selen looked down at her mug, watching the steam swirl toward the ceiling. "He is doing so well with the kids. The other day, he showed them that he moved Daniel’s drawing to his main office table. You should have seen Daniel’s face, Newton. He looked like he had just won an award.

Diana, too, she does not always say much about him, but she’s watching him. They are all starting to rely on him. And he- he is really trying to be there. And it is so obvious that it is undeniable" she said.

Newton took a slow, deliberate sip of his tea, using the hot liquid to swallow down the sudden, bitter lump in his throat. Hearing about Daniel’s drawing, the same Daniel who used to only show him his doodles stung worse than he cared to admit.

Newton took a slow, deep breath, forcing down the sudden, bitter lump in his throat. He kept his voice deliberately gentle, choosing his words with care so he wouldn’t alarm her. "It is a really big adjustment for all of them, Selen," Newton said softly, offering a sympathetic, reassuring look.

"But remember, it is always a bit easier to step into the hero role during the fun highlights. Moving a drawing to a desk takes five seconds. The real test is showing up consistently on the heavy, exhausting days.

He is stepping up, which is exactly what any decent guy should do for you and the kids, but don’t rush yourself. You deserve someone who handles the hard days just as well as the easy ones."

Clancy is just doing the bare minimum any decent guy would do by showing up for them. He was making sure that Selen does not get swayed by the bare minimum. She deserved way more than that. Which was why he always made sure to show her every chance that he got.