Roxanne brought the kids home. She hesitated about inviting Colby inside.
Colby noticed her hesitation. Smiling, he said, "It's getting late, and I should head back. See you tomorrow."
Roxanne breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't ask him to stay, but smiled and said goodbye. After watching his car leave, she took her children's hands and led them inside.
Lysa had prepared dinner and served it upon their arrival. Roxanne treated Lysa like family, eating with them at the table.
During dinner, Lysa smiled and asked, "Ms. Jarvis, did you see the news today? You and Mr. Farwell"
Lysa had seen the afternoon news report where the media mistakenly identified Roxanne as Lucian's fiancรฉe. While she found it amusing, she also thought they looked good together. Just as she was about to tease Roxanne, Roxanne interrupted.
"It's a misunderstanding. Let's forget about it."
Roxanne looked down, serving the children food. Lysa, taking her cue, changed the subject, telling stories about the children's kindergarten.
Archie and Benny were intrigued but remained outwardly calm, eating their dinner and answering Lysa's questions obediently. They ate dinner with little enthusiasm. That night, they showed no interest in playing Lego, rushing to their room instead.
Roxanne's heart sank. She knew the children had seen the news.
In their room, Archie and Benny immediately searched for Lucian's name online. They quickly found the trending articles, and the picturesโtwo in every articleโclearly showed their mother with Lucian. The articles identified her as his fiancรฉe.
Confused, the boys knew Lucian was supposed to be marrying someone else. Why would the news claim their mother was his fiancรฉe? However, even they had to admit the photos showed Lucian treating their mother very well. They remembered how he'd cared for Roxanne when she was sick; he'd been even kinder then than in the photos.
The comments below the articles praised Lucian's treatment of Roxanne and said they were a good match. The children began to waver.
After reading the articles, Archie and Benny rushed to their mother with their laptops. "Mommy, are you getting together with Mr. Farwell?"
Roxanne examined the articles, frowning. She'd worried about Archie and Benny misunderstanding, which is why she'd wanted Lysa to avoid the topic. Unexpectedly, they'd investigated themselves.
Archie and Benny stared at Roxanne with wide eyes.
"No. His fiancรฉe is Aubree Pearson. You've met her. The news is wrong." After a pause, Roxanne forced herself to explain calmly.
Archie and Benny exchanged glances. Archie nodded silently. Benny felt a pang of disappointment. He'd thought he was finally going to have a father.
The final two lines are promotional material and should be removed.