On Sunday morning, Zuo Zuo sat at the breakfast table, his eyes bright with excitement. Swallowing his last bite of fried egg, he looked up and asked, “Mommy, is Uncle Giang coming over today?”

I nodded with a soft smile. “That’s right. Uncle Giang is going to stay with us for a month.”

At that, Zuo Zuo nodded solemnly, trying to act like a grown-up, though he couldn’t hide the pure joy shining in his eyes. “Awesome! Now I’ll have someone to play with.”

My hands froze mid-motion, a sudden pang tightening in my chest. I lowered my head, pretending not to hear, but my eyes stung with unshed tears. Growing up without a father, Zuo Zuo had always been such a good, understanding boy. But whenever he saw other kids playing with their dads, I knew he felt that ache, that subtle twinge of envy.

Fortunately, Jiang Ran always made time to play with him. He was the only person who made Zuo Zuo feel a little less lonely.

Checking the clock, I pulled myself together and called out, “Zuo Zuo, it’s almost time. Let’s go pick up Uncle Giang.”

At the airport, Jiang Ran’s tall frame emerged from the crowd, walking against the light with an easy smile on his face. I smiled back and waved. “How was the two-hour flight? Exhausting?”

Jiang Ran let out a laugh. “Can you be serious for once? What’s exhausting about a two-hour flight?”

Zuo Zuo immediately tugged at his jacket, asking in his sweet, innocent voice, “Uncle Giang, did you bring me a present?”

Jiang Ran scooped him up fondly, giving him a gentle pat on the back. “Of course I did. I’ll give it to you once we get home.”

Watching the two of them walking ahead, warmth bloomed in my chest. I never could have guessed that meeting Jiang Ran would turn out to be such a blessed coincidence.

It had all started one night when Zuo Zuo was only six months old. He had come down with a burning fever that just wouldn’t break, driving me into a state of total panic. As a young mother, I had no idea what to do, nor did I know how to drive. To make matters worse, there wasn’t a single cab to be found in my neighborhood at that hour.

In my sheer desperation, I remembered that the neighbor across the hall owned a car. Clutching Zuo Zuo tight, I ran over and knocked on his door, clinging to a sliver of hope.

When the door opened, Jiang Ran stood there with a towel wrapped around his waist, hair still dripping wet. Seeing my hysterical state, he knit his brows slightly. But I didn’t care about politeness; I just sobbed and pleaded over and over again, “Please help me… please drive us to the hospital. Save my baby.”

Jiang Ran immediately turned back inside, threw on some clothes, and grabbed his car keys. As he brushed past me, he didn’t say a word—he simply leaned down and gently took Zuo Zuo into his arms with practiced ease.

At the hospital, the doctor diagnosed Zuo Zuo with acute tonsillitis. A quick fever-reducing shot and a few prescriptions later, the danger passed. Only then did I finally dare to breathe a sigh of relief.

On the drive back, the air inside the car was quiet. Zuo Zuo lay curled up in my lap, fast asleep.

After a long silence, Jiang Ran spoke up, shattering the quiet. “Where’s the kid’s father?”

I kept my head down, my voice barely a whisper. “He’s dead.”

Jiang Ran went quiet for a moment before saying softly, “I’m sorry.”

I shook my head, my eyes fixed on the passing scenery outside the window. “It’s fine.”

Even if he was still breathing… he might as well be dead to us.

After all, that wild, crazy night had been my choice. Zuo Zuo’s very existence was the result of my own stubbornness—a secret I never even dared to tell him.