Chapter 47: Testing Limits
Tyler smiled faintly as he stepped into the personal gym, the rubberized floor slightly cool beneath his bare feet.
He had just passed by the living area where his mom and Devin were curled up on the couch, watching TV.
His mother had smiled brightly at him, her eyes lighting up with a mix of warmth and relief.
"I’m glad you finally came out of that study," she had said with mock sternness, though the love in her voice gave her away. "You need to breathe some actual air once in a while."
He had only chuckled in response.
To an outsider, it might’ve seemed like Helena was exaggerating—that Tyler had holed himself up all day. But that wasn’t true.
Yes, he’d been intensely focused, but he had still made time to eat lunch with them and spent a good thirty minutes playing a card game with Devin.
It had been a small moment, but one he refused to miss. Because no matter how hectic things got, he would never repeat the mistakes of his past life—of letting work eclipse the people who truly mattered.
His last life had been a slow suffocation. A life where progress meant absence. Where providing meant sacrificing connection. And when it all came crashing down, the only thing he had left was regret.
Not this time.
He reached Devin and ruffled the boy’s hair gently, smiling at the loud giggle that erupted in response. The affection was quick, instinctive.