It was Saturday morning, and the sun was shining like it knew something romantic was about to happen.
Ethan stretched his arms and walked into the kitchen, where Alex was sitting in his pajamas, making a mess with cereal and milk.
"I've been thinking…" Ethan said, pouring himself some coffee. "Let's do something fun today. Just the three of us."
Alex's eyes sparkled. "You mean... like a family day?"
"Exactly. Just don't tell Elena yet. We'll make it a surprise."
Ten minutes later, Elena walked out of her room in a messy bun and a baggy T-shirt, yawning. "Morning…"
"Get ready," Ethan said with a smirk. "We're going out."
"Where?"
"Just get dressed. You'll see."
Elena groaned. "This better not be a hiking trip. If you make me climb a mountain, I'll file for divorce."
Alex gasped. "No divorce! I just got a mummy!"
Two hours later…
They were at the city's biggest indoor amusement park. Roller coasters, VR games, cotton candy—it was chaos, noise, and laughter.
Ethan was dressed casually in jeans and a hoodie, sunglasses pushing his hair back. Elena had to admit it—he didn't look like a CEO today. He looked… adorable. Dad vibes.
Alex was running around like a tiny rocket.
After an exhausting round of bumper cars, they sat at a food stall with fries and burgers. Alex was munching happily, sauce on his cheek.
Ethan leaned closer to Elena. "You have ketchup on your nose."
"Huh?" She wiped the wrong side.
"No, here…" Ethan leaned in and gently brushed her nose with his thumb.
For a second, they froze. Too close. Too familiar. Too… real.
"You're being soft," Elena teased to break the tension. "Did someone replace you with a nice clone?"
"I'm always nice," Ethan replied, sipping his drink. "You're just allergic to romance."
"Not allergic. Just… cautious."
They watched Alex running around a ball pit.
"He's really happy," Elena said softly.
"He deserves it."
She looked at Ethan. He wasn't faking that part. The love he had for Alex—it was real. And maybe… just maybe, her heart was catching feelings too.
Ethan suddenly stood. "Okay, final surprise."
They arrived at a giant photo booth. Ethan handed Elena a silly hat and put a crown on Alex.
Elena blinked. "A family photo?"
"One for the fridge," Ethan said. "Come on. Contract rule number 23: fake families take cute pictures."
They all squeezed into the booth. Flash. Flash. Flash.
Elena laughed as she saw the printout.
And for a moment, she forgot it was fake.