Chapter 86

Alex and Aurora: Two and a half years old.

“Mama?” Alex called, and I smiled at my little boy. He had spoken for the first time almost a year and a half ago, but it still made me grin every time he called me “Mama” in his little voice.

“Yes, baby?” I cooed, picking him up and carrying him outside, letting his sister sleep.

“Play?” He blinked his large eyes, and I nodded.

“Of course, my love.”

I carried him to the twins’ play area, and he happily hopped out of my arms into the soft area where his blocks and cars were kept, along with Aurora’s dolls and a soft ball pit.

I watched as he built a tower with a few blocks.

“Wow. That’s so tall.” I sat next to him, passing him the blocks one by one as he added them to his creation, careful not to topple them.

It was a quiet afternoon. Gabriel was at work, and this was usually the twins’ naptime, but Alex had a sugar rush and couldn't sleep. Even so, he wasn't making noise, aware his sister was sleeping next door.

“Mama… look!” He pointed at the tall tower, satisfied with his accomplishment.

I was about to praise him when he punched the center of it, watching with glee as it all fell down.

“FUN!” He shouted, grinning from ear to ear, his brown eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

I sighed, resisting the urge to facepalm. His delight in destruction was… bothersome.

“You’re supposed to build, my love, not break,” I reminded him gently, smiling at his antics.

“If no break, then how build again?” He pouted, and I almost laughed.

Oh, my sweet, naughty boy. He had always been this way: inquisitive, observant, witty. And his fascination with destruction? It concerned Gabriel, though I always laughed it off. He was just being a child.

“Mama…” He called again while racing his cars into the ball pit.

“Yes, Alex?”

“Dada!” He pointed behind me. Having missed the jingling of keys or the sound of footsteps, I turned around just in time to see Gabriel walk in.

“Hey,” I said, furrowing my eyebrows. “You’re home early?”

“Mm-hmm.” A small smile touched his lips as he walked to the play area, kissing me softly. “Why isn’t he asleep yet?”

“He had a cookie after lunch,” I told my husband as he sat down and took Alex in his arms.

“Sugar monster,” Gabriel cooed, kissing his son’s cheeks.

Alex was busy running a car over Gabriel’s coat, dropping it into his suit pocket.

Who knew the man I met would one day let a small child run a toy car over his suit?

“Why are you home, Gabriel?” I asked again.

“I missed the kids.”

“And not me?” I pouted.

“You too,” he chuckled, but it wasn’t as open as usual.

Alex wiggled from Gabriel’s hold, diving into the ball pit. Gabriel moved closer, dipping his feet into the soft balls. I inched closer, sitting beside him. His shoulders were tense, and he wouldn’t look at me.

“What’s wrong, Gabriel?” I asked, resting my head on his shoulder. “Don’t lie to me. Why are you tense?”

“Everything’s fine, Freckles.” He kissed my head, taking a deep breath as if to absorb my presence. “I had a bad dream last night.”

My forehead creased. “A bad dream? What kind?”

“There was a fire,” he whispered. “In the house. I was coming home from work, I think. And I saw the house on fire.”

My grip on his arm tightened.

He continued, “I could only save one of you. You, or the kids.”

“Oh, love,” I mumbled, stroking his palm, and he intertwined our fingers, kissing my knuckles.

“I saved you, Freckles,” he answered the unasked question, and I closed my eyes briefly. “Since I woke up, I’ve felt this guilt, this suffocation.”

“It was just a dream, Gabriel,” I reassured him.

He looked at me briefly. “I know.” He looked away again, at Alex. “But if I were ever given such a choice, you know I’d choose a hundred deaths before giving up on you or the kids, right?”

“Of course I know that,” I whispered. “You’re a good father, Gabriel. And a good man.”

“Do you…” He hesitated. “Do you think the twins will hate me when they grow up, when they find out I missed their birth?”

“No, they wouldn’t,” I said sharply. “They will never find out. And even if they did, they wouldn’t hate you because you’ve been the best dad to them.”

“You think so?” He still sounded unsure.

“I know so.”

He smiled, almost leaning down to kiss me, stopping when Alex tugged at his pants.

“Alex, you’re supposed to wait until I kiss Mama,” Gabriel said with a grin, and I playfully slapped his shoulder.

Alex giggled, climbing into Gabriel’s arms. “Dada… story!”

“Story?”

Alex nodded. “With tiger!”

“Okay,” Gabriel feigned a salute, and Alex tried to mimic him, failing hilariously.

I laughed. My husband kissed my nose. “I’ll entertain him. Why don’t you take a nap? You look tired.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

I smiled, watching Gabriel place Alex on his shoulders and walk into the twins’ room, making airplane noises. Alex held Gabriel’s hair tightly, his laughter echoing.

I watched them disappear and then stared at the closed door until his laughter faded. Actually tired, I took a nap on the living room couch.

I woke when the sun had set, the house dark. Not hearing the twins’ voices scared me for a moment, but the fear vanished when I saw them cuddled up with their father, Alex in the center.

A smile touched my lips as I went to bed, sleeping on Gabriel’s other side, hugging him. He shifted in his sleep, enveloping me in his arms. I happily fell back asleep. Gabriel’s bad dream didn’t affect me because I knew that as long as this man was by my side, we would always be safe.