The mall was glowing softly under warm yellow lights, the kind of lights that made every color look richer and every shadow deeper. Weekend crowds moved lazily, voices mixing with the faint music playing from hidden speakers. In the middle of this calm chaos, Jaya stood in front of a mannequin wearing a navy-blue suit. Her eyes softened in a way Ivan rarely saw.
"Ivan, look! Isn't it beautiful? You'll look even more handsome in it. Go, try it."
Ivan blinked at her. His mother didn't usually speak like this to him. Normally, she was tired, rushed, or simply uninterested. This gentle tone felt strange — unfamiliar. It made him uncomfortable.
"Is this important?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah…" she whispered, but the expression on her face felt heavier than the word. She wasn't just choosing a suit; she was trying to hold onto something. She was trying to fix a relationship with her son that was already slipping out of her hands. She felt she was losing him.
Ivan didn't question further. He took the suit and went into the trial room. Inside, he stood still in front of the mirror, staring at his reflection. The suit fit him well, too well. He looked older, like someone who finally belonged somewhere. But that feeling was brief. He knew it wasn't real.
When he stepped out, Jaya was waiting with eager anticipation.
"Come out."
Ivan stepped forward.
"Mother…"
Her reaction was instant. She placed a hand over her lips, eyes widening with admiration and something deeper — maybe guilt. She was remembering her ex-husband. Ivan looked so much like his late father that it almost hurt.
"Ohhh, you're looking so handsome… my baby… so young, so pure and innocent."
She touched his cheek, then his collar, adjusting it like she had all the time and love in the world. Her hands were trembling. Ivan noticed. He wanted to ask why, but before he could, her phone rang sharply.
She glanced at the name flashing on the screen and her expression changed completely. Worry? Panic? Ivan couldn't tell.
"Wait, my phone's ringing… it's Marcus. Wait here."
She hurried away, voice soft and secretive the moment she answered. Ivan watched her from a distance. She kept rubbing her lower stomach — a gesture she'd been doing a lot recently. He didn't understand it.
Before he could think further, he sensed someone behind him.
Ivan turned and froze.
"Ryaan? You're here?"
Ryaan stood there, hands shoved in his pockets, trying to act calm, but his breathing was uneven. He hadn't expected to be caught this quickly.
"I came to meet you."
Ivan frowned deeply.
"In this mall? Are you stalking me?"
Ryaan didn't react with anger or embarrassment. Instead, he stared right into Ivan's eyes and asked:
"Is this important to you?"
Ivan's confusion grew. "What do you mean?"
Ryaan cleared his throat awkwardly.
"I'm here to buy a PlayStation."
Ivan immediately narrowed his eyes.
"You bought a new one just yesterday, didn't you?"
Ryaan looked away.
"Yes, but I… I wanted another new one."
"Don't lie. You're stalking me, right?"
A long silence followed.
Finally, Ryaan let out a heavy breath.
"Yes. I saw your mother. She's talking with someone on the phone."
Ivan tensed.
"That's her private matter."
Ryaan stepped closer, voice firm but gentle.
"Private? For God's sake… she's pregnant, isn't she?"
Ivan's chest tightened.
"How did you know?"
Ryaan's expression softened unexpectedly.
"Her behavior is strange… like mothers do, touching their womb every second… like she's trying to feel her child."
Ivan looked down, eyes burning. The truth hit him harshly — he was being replaced. Forgotten. Again.
Ryaan moved even closer, his voice low and steady.
"Im here for you?"
Ivan swallowed. "What?"
Ryaan's eyes didn't leave his.
"To take you with me."
Ivan's breath stuttered.
"Why?"
Ryaan's voice dropped to a whisper, sincere and raw.
"Because you don't belong here, Ivan. You need love… you deserve attention… while everyone else ignores you."