Sunday in the city had a peculiar hush to it—a day when the usual urgency faded, and everything moved slower, softer. Dylan Haven preferred it that way. Without the screech of tires or the demands of high-profile schedules, there was space to breathe. Not that he ever really allowed himself to.
Today, he walked beside Evelyn, his mother, through the quiet park nestled off Brookwell Street. She moved carefully, each step measured and deliberate. Her illness had stripped her of energy, but not her spirit. She clutched his arm with a dignity that defied the frailty in her limbs.
"You didn't need to bring me all the way out here," she murmured, adjusting the scarf around her neck. "We could've sat on the stoop like old times."
"You wanted fresh air," Dylan said simply. "You're getting it."
Evelyn smiled faintly. "You always were the most stubborn of the three."
Dylan's jaw shifted, but he said nothing.
They reached the bench beneath a canopy of elm trees—Evelyn's favorite—and he helped her sit. She sighed as she looked at the overgrown garden nearby, the leaves golden with the season's slow turn.
"You never take time off work," she said, not looking at him.
"I take it when it matters."
She gave him a knowing glance, eyes sharp despite the weariness. "Like now."
He didn't reply.
Across the street, exiting a nearby café, Tiana Kings and her assistant Emily Lane were walking slowly, each holding a steaming cup. Emily had coaxed her boss into leaving the penthouse for a rare break in the park , insisting she needed "human contact and caffeine that didn't taste like printer ink."
Tiana wore her usual elegance: sharp-cut coat, leather gloves, and eyes that missed nothing. She rarely lowered her guard in public—Emily was one of the few people allowed to see the occasional crack in her polished armor.
But even she slowed when her gaze drifted across the park.
"Is that Dylan?" Emily asked, squinting. "By the bench?"
Tiana followed her gaze and blinked. The man seated next to a frail older woman looked familiar—too familiar. But the image didn't align with the Dylan Haven she knew. Gone was the stiff black uniform, the military posture, the permanent scowl. In their place: a man in dark jeans, a grey hoodie, and sneakers. He looked relaxed. Unburdened. Different.
"It is him," Tiana said, her voice unreadable.
"Wow," Emily whispered. "He looks… human."
Tiana's gaze sharpened. "He's with someone."
"His mom?" Emily guessed. "I know he has family around."
"He doesn't talk about personal things."
"Neither do you."
Tiana didn't respond.
Emily tugged on her arm. "Come on, let's say hi."
"I'm not sure that's—"
But Emily was already crossing the street.
Dylan saw them before they reached him. His face didn't register surprise, just a subtle shift in awareness—shoulders slightly straighter, eyes narrowed in recognition.
"Ma'am," he said with a polite nod, standing quickly. "Emily."
Tiana stopped a few steps away, expression composed. "Haven. Didn't expect to see you out this way."
"I might say the same."
"Still working, or do you allow yourself Sundays off sometimes?"
"Just this one," he said.
Emily smiled at Evelyn. "Hi there. Sorry to interrupt. We're coworkers of Dylan's. I'm Emily Lane, and this is Ms. Kings."
Evelyn looked up, eyes bright despite her pallor. "So you're the boss my son never talks about."
Tiana tilted her head slightly. "I hope that's a good thing."
Evelyn chuckled. "Means you're important. Dylan doesn't waste words."
Tiana allowed herself a small, brief smile. "He's consistent at least."
"This is my mother, Evelyn," Dylan said, tone slightly softer. "We're just out for a walk before her appointment tomorrow."
Emily knelt slightly, smiling warmly. "It's lovely to meet you, Mrs. Haven."
"Please, just Evelyn," she said kindly. "And thank you. I don't often meet people from Dylan's professional life. He likes to keep the two worlds separate."
Tiana glanced at Dylan, who gave away nothing as usual.
"You raised a disciplined man," she said to Evelyn. "Efficient. Loyal."
"And completely incapable of relaxing," Evelyn said with a grin.
Emily laughed. "I've been thinking the same for a while."
Evelyn reached over and touched Dylan's arm. "He's taken care of me more than I deserve lately. Always showing up. Always on time. I keep telling him to take breaks, but he acts like the world falls apart if he looks away."
Tiana studied him, struck by how little he reacted. Stillness had always been his armor. At work, it read as cold. Here, it looked more like control—like someone holding too much together for too long.
"I wanted to inform you directly," Dylan said, shifting his attention back to Tiana. "I won't be reporting in early tomorrow. I'll be taking my mother to her appointment. I'll be reachable by noon."
"You're excused for the day," Tiana said at once, tone firm. "No need to check in."
Dylan blinked once. "I appreciate that, ma'am."
Evelyn gave him a look. "You can breathe now, Dylan."
Emily stood beside Tiana, glancing between them. "You should both enjoy the rest of the day. It's nice out, for once."
"We will," Evelyn said warmly. "It's good to see Dylan surrounded by kind people."
Tiana's expression shifted just slightly. "He's valued."
Evelyn's eyes lingered on Tiana a beat too long. Something knowing flickered there—something neither woman acknowledged aloud.
Dylan said nothing, just kept his hand lightly at his mother's back.
"Well," Tiana said, straightening, "we'll let you enjoy your afternoon. Evelyn, it was a pleasure meeting you."
"You as well, Ms. Kings."
They walked away, back toward the sidewalk. Emily gave her boss a sideways glance.
"Well, that was surreal."
Tiana didn't answer right away. Her thoughts were elsewhere, caught in the image of Dylan's hand on his mother's arm, the gentleness in his movements—so different from the hard lines and cold glances she was used to at work.
"You okay?" Emily asked.
"I'm fine," Tiana said.
"Just... not used to seeing him like that?"
"No."
"Kind of makes you wonder what else he keeps hidden."
Tiana paused, then murmured, "We all keep things hidden."
They walked on, the silence between them thicker than it had been before.
Back on the bench, Evelyn leaned into Dylan and whispered, "She's the one, isn't she?"
Dylan's eyes didn't move. "She's my employer."
Evelyn smiled to herself. "You didn't deny it."