The Bond Between Us ( Anastasia and Herman) novel Chapter 1185

Autumn still couldn’t shake that lingering sense of reluctance—women, she thought, always have soft hearts.

As she burned offerings by the riverside, Autumn explained gently to her baby son, Max, “Max, we’re sending these to your daddy, you know? He drowned right here in this river. Someone did something terrible to him. You never even got to meet your dad—he was gone before you were born.”

Her voice broke, and tears spilled down her cheeks.

She knew Devin hadn’t chosen her out of love—she’d just been the mayor’s wife, and that was enough for him. Still, they’d had a son together. That connection made it impossible for Autumn to truly hate him, no matter how cold he’d turned.

Little Max was just a baby, oblivious to everything, quietly peering around, not a single complaint.

After saying goodbye to Devin, Autumn carried her son back to the motel.

She hadn’t checked into a fancy hotel—just a small, rundown place where the rules were loose and the questions fewer.

She told the manager she’d lost her ID. Seeing her alone with a baby, clearly struggling, the owner took pity and let her stay.

When Autumn returned, the motel owner’s wife was at the front desk, deep in conversation with her best friend.

The friend shot Autumn a quick glance as she went upstairs, then whispered, “Women really have it tough, don’t they? When they’re young, it’s their own kids; when they’re old, it’s the grandkids. Look at her—can’t even take a trip without her grandson tagging along.”

“That’s not her grandson,” the owner’s wife replied. “I think that’s her son.”

“Her son?” Her friend’s eyes widened in disbelief. “At her age? She’s had a baby? Now that’s something!”

“Nothing surprises me these days. Everyone’s talking about having more kids,” the owner’s wife joked. “Why don’t you have another?”

“Oh, please—I’m over fifty! That ship has sailed,” the friend laughed.

The two women went on, trading stories and chuckling.

Upstairs, Autumn was struggling. Without the help of a nanny, she was all over the place. She was older now, and just one sleepless night had her feeling like she’d been hit by a truck.

But babies don’t wait. Max woke up crying for milk, needed his diaper changed, and let the world know with his wails if anything was wrong.

The owner’s wife kept passing by Autumn’s door, hearing the baby’s cries echoing down the hall.

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