LOGINGIANNA ~•~ It was the first day of the kids’ summer break. The house was unusually quiet for a Saturday, even if the kids were in the backyard, playing together. After what happened to Isabella all those months ago, Brandon had fenced the house, making sure no one could enter from the back. There were also cameras at all corners of the house and the kids had learned not to approach any stranger. I leaned on the kitchen counter, watching Brandon at the stone. He was still wearing his pajama pants, his hair slightly messy, humming to himself. I loved mornings like this. I loved being able to watch him in the kitchen as he prepared breakfast for the family. “You’re burning them again,” I teased him, hiding my smile behind my mug. He shot me a quick look over his shoulder. “You say that all the time.” “Because you burn it all the time.” He turned back to the stove and flipped the pancake. Surprisingly, it came out golden brown. He shot me a smug look. “Progress.” I shrugge
GIANNA~•~The house looked different tonight.Maybe it was the lights. Brandon had gone all out with them. He strung warm golden bulbs along the banister and on the tree, even letting the kids pick the ornaments. It resulted in a perfect imperfect Christmas tree.I didn’t have the heart to fix it since the kids thought clustering all the ornaments in one spot looked better.Isabella, Charlotte, and Oliver sat cross-legged in front of the tree, wrapping paper scattered everywhere as they compared their presents. Charlotte was very proud of her DIY craft kit while Isabella thought her doctor’s kit was more impressive. Meanwhile, Oliver tried to convince them that his Lego set was the best.Brandon had tried to get them to open their gifts one after the other, but the plan didn’t last long. He gave up after Oliver ripped his present open before the count of three.It had been a month since we moved in together and nights like this where we all gathered still felt new.Brandon came out f
GIANNA~•~When Brandon told me Charlotte wanted the twins over for the weekend, I was honestly pleased. The kids got along very well and I was glad they were craving each other’s presence. They adjusted to each other so fast that one would think they’d known each other for years.It was impossible to say no to that.So here I was, on Friday afternoon, standing in front of his door with Isabella clutching my free hand and Oliver balancing a new toy on his chest. Shelia wouldn’t stop buying them toys. It was probably because she wasn’t the one who cleaned up after them.Before I could even knock, the door swung open and Charlotte rushed out as though she had been waiting all day.“Bella, Ollie!” She squealed, trying to wrap her tiny arms around both of them. “You’re here!”Isabella laughed, hugging her back. It seemed I was the only one she wasn’t affectionate with. Oliver, on the other hand, wiggled free after a moment, proudly showing off his new toy.Charlotte gasped as though she h
BRANDON~•~When I pulled up at my parents’ house, I saw Charlotte through the window. She was sitting cross-legged, crayons scattered around her as she focused on her coloring book.She looked peaceful and innocent, completely oblivious to the web of lies that had been built around her. Gianna was right. I needed to keep her this way for a while longer. I needed to protect her for as long as I could.I stood there, watching her for a moment before I knocked on the door and opened it to step inside.Charlotte looked up when she heard me, her face lighting up immediately. “Daddy!” She squealed, running over to hug my legs.“Hey sweetheart,” I bent down to scoop her up. “You ready to go home?”“I’m almost done coloring. We can go after I’m done.” She pointed to her book on the floor.“Of course,” I kissed her forehead and set her down. She didn’t often stay at my parents’ place but somehow she wasn’t always eager to leave. It seemed like they were treating her better than they ever trea
GIANNA~•~When Brandon told me he had gotten the results of the paternity test, I tried not to think too much about it. I had encouraged him to get it done so he could get the closure he needed but there was a part of me that prayed he’d never have to face the kind of truth that shattered a person.However, when I arrived at his house that evening, he didn’t need to say a word. The results were basically written all over his face. He sat on the couch, his laptop open in front of him, the screen black.“Brandon,” I called out softly, not wanting to startle him.He didn’t reply. He just raised his head to stare at me.“What did the results say?” I asked even if the answer was obvious.“Zero,” his tone was dry. “Not even a point one percent.”I stood there for a moment, thinking of something to say, but nothing came to mind, so I just sat beside him. “She’s not mine.” His voice cracked. “All these years, I’ve lived with the guilt that I destroyed our marriage because of a mistake. I t
BRANDON~•~When the results of the paternity test finally came, I was scared to open it. The last time I’d been this scared was when Isabella got kidnapped and Gianna got into an accident on the same day.Honestly, there was no reason to be scared. Whether Charlotte was mine or not, she was still my daughter. I’d bonded with her no matter how crazy her mom was. I’d come to love her, so I couldn’t imagine giving her up to another person.The only question was that if I wasn’t her father, then who was? Did the person know that he was her father? Would he try to take her away from me?I held my breath, staring at the computer screen for the longest time before I finally exhaled and tapped on the file.My eyes caught the number at the bottom of the document immediately.0%My heart dropped. So Bernice was telling the truth. Bailey had been lying to me for more than six years. Bernice was also an accomplice. I was confused. Bernice and I were of the same blood, sharing both parents. Why







