The Ex-Husband of Alice Langley

4

TAYLOR SWIFT
I'm sitting in the living room, peacefully lost in the pages of a book. The late afternoon sun streams through the window, casting a warm, golden glow over the room. Alice is with Hunter and Luca trying to discuss things.

I hear soft footsteps approaching and I look up to see London standing there, hands shoved in his pockets, his expression distant but thoughtful. He hesitates for a moment before coming over and sitting next to me on the couch. It's a rare thing for him to initiate anything like this.

"Hey, Lon. Do you need something?" I ask gently, trying not to push too hard. London doesn't come to me unless there's something specific on his mind. That's just how he is—quiet, reserved, always in his own world.

"No, I just want the company," he says, his voice soft but genuine.

I can't help but smile, feeling a tug at my heart. "Do you want to talk? I could order some pizza, and we could play that board game you like."

He sighs, rolling his eyes a little, but there's no real irritation there. "It's not a board game, Mom. It's a fantasy tabletop role-playing game. Besides, you'd never understand Dungeons and Dragons. It's complicated."

I chuckle lightly, knowing he's probably right, but I'm not about to let that stop me. "I just want to spend time with you, that's all. What about pizza from the place down the street? I know how the texture of the other places bothers you."

London glances at me, a slight softening in his expression. "Yeah... that place is good," he mumbles, his usual stoic demeanor breaking just a little.

I can't help but smile again, relieved that he's agreeing, that he's here—really here, in this moment, with me. "Great," I say, reaching for my phone. "I'll call them now."

As I dial, I watch him out of the corner of my eye. He's sitting back on the couch, his eyes wandering around the room as if lost in thought. There's a calmness about him that I don't see often, and I'm grateful for it, even if it's just for now.

After placing the order, I put my phone down and turn to him again, eager to keep the conversation going. "So, what's been going on in your world lately? Anything exciting?"

He shrugs, his eyes still distant, but there's a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Not really. I've just been working on my campaign for
Dungeons and Dragons."

I nod, even though I don't fully understand. "That sounds cool. What's it about?"

For a moment, he looks at me like he's not sure if I'm genuinely interested or just trying to make conversation. Then, almost reluctantly, he starts explaining. "It's this fantasy world I've been building for months. There's this ancient kingdom with its own political system, and magic plays a big part in it. My friends are trying to stop this ancient evil from coming back, but I've thrown in a few twists they don't know about yet."

I raise my eyebrows, impressed despite not understanding all the intricacies. "Wow, that sounds really detailed. You came up with all of that?"

"Yeah," he says, the pride in his voice unmistakable. "It's... a lot of work, but it's fun."

I smile at him, my heart swelling with a mix of admiration and affection. "You've always had a gift for seeing things differently, Lon. You create worlds in ways I could never imagine."

He shrugs again, but I catch the faint blush coloring his cheeks. He's not used to compliments. "I guess... do you want to see it?" he asks, almost shyly.

"Totally!" I reply, probably a bit too eagerly, but I don't care. These are the moments I pray for with London, the small windows where he lets me into his world, even if just for a while.