CHAPTER 8: Terms of Engagement

The next morning began like any other for the twins except today, Melinda paced the hallway outside their room like a woman preparing for war.

Elijah and Elena were seated at the kitchen table, happily munching on cereal and arguing over whose drawing was better. The sun filtered through the windows, golden and peaceful. But in Melinda’s chest, a storm was building.

She knew once she said the words, there would be no turning back.

“Mama?” Elena called, “Did you tell that man he’s not allowed to come back?”

Melinda drew a breath, walked to the table, and crouched between them.

“Listen to me, both of you,” she said gently. “The man you met yesterday James O’Connor he’s not just some stranger. He’s... your father.”

Two spoons clattered into bowls.

For a moment, neither child said anything. Their faces were frozen in identical shock, their wide eyes locked on her.

“Like... like our real dad?” Elijah asked.

“Yes, baby. He didn’t know about you before. But now he does. And he wants to be part of your lives.”

Elena blinked. “But... why wasn’t he here before? Why didn’t you tell him?”

Melinda’s throat tightened. “Because sometimes adults make mistakes trying to protect the people they love.”

“Are you going to marry him now?” Elijah asked with a frown. “Like in those cartoons?”

Melinda let out a dry laugh. “No. Absolutely not.”

“Good,” he muttered, shoving cereal in his mouth again. “He’s too bossy.”

Melinda pressed a kiss to their heads. “You’re going to get to know him slowly. He’ll visit. You can ask him anything. But remember, no matter what, you can always tell me how you feel. Okay?”

Elena smiled and nodded. Elijah gave a small shrug, his brow still furrowed.

Later that afternoon, James arrived.

This time, in a plain black T-shirt and jeans. No suits. No driver. No entourage. Just him.

He didn’t come empty-handed either. Two boxes one with LEGO sets, the other with books, puzzles, and a DIY telescope kit.

Melinda opened the door with a warning glance.

“No bribes,” she said.

James raised a brow. “They’re not bribes. They’re... tools. I come bearing gifts and educational enhancement.”

She sighed. “Just don’t spoil them.”

Inside, the twins hovered by the living room entrance, shy but curious. James bent to their level.

“I brought some stuff for you guys,” he said, setting the boxes down. “Only if your mom says it’s okay.”

Elijah took a cautious step forward. “What kind of stuff?”

“Science and stories,” James replied with a faint smile.

That earned a glimmer of interest from Elena.

They spent the next hour on the floor, surrounded by open boxes, blocks, and laughter. James listened to them talk over each other, amazed at how quickly his heart had surrendered to these two little humans with bright eyes and quick wit.

Melinda watched from the kitchen, arms crossed over her chest, her expression unreadable.

When the twins finally wandered off for snacks, James stood.

“You’re good with them,” Melinda said quietly, pouring juice into two cups.

He leaned against the counter beside her. “They’re... amazing. You did that on your own?”

She nodded slowly. “And I’ll keep doing it. But they deserve to know you. Just don’t come in and out of their lives. I won’t let you mess with their hearts.”

James looked at her then not as a man wounded by secrets, but as someone who finally understood what she’d carried all these years.

“You’ve been strong for them,” he said.

“And I’ll keep being strong,” she answered, “even if that means standing between you and them if I have to.”

There was a beat of silence between them, thick and unspoken.

Then James said, “You should know something. My lawyer found out someone from my father’s side tried to dig into your life a few years ago. Background checks. Surveillance.”

Melinda stiffened. “What?”

“I didn’t know until recently. It wasn’t me. It was my father’s private investigator. I think... they suspected something.”

Melinda’s blood went cold. “So this wasn’t just a one-time mistake. Your world your name it’s dangerous.”

“I’ve cut ties with my father,” James said firmly. “We haven’t spoken in years. But if he finds out about the twins…”

Melinda’s voice turned sharp. “Then he’ll never see them. I’ll fight him with everything I have.”

James stepped closer, lowering his voice. “That’s why I need to be here, Melinda. To protect them. To protect you.”

Her eyes met his and this time, something softer passed between them. A fragile thread of understanding neither one dared name.

Then a crash echoed from the hallway.

They both rushed toward the sound and found Elijah sitting on the floor, telescope pieces everywhere, looking sheepish.

James knelt and helped him up, chuckling. “That’s okay. We’ll build it together.”

Melinda stood back, arms folded but this time, not in defense. In quiet contemplation.

Because no matter how much she’d tried to bury that night six years ago… this man had returned.

Not for her. Not to fix the past.

But to fight for their future.

That night, the kids were tucked into bed after one last game of "who can spot the most stars" from the bedroom window using the newly built telescope. James had left a little after dinner, reluctantly, only after Elena began yawning mid-sentence.

Now the house was quiet.

Melinda sat alone on the worn-down couch, a mug of cold tea in her hands, the TV playing some show she wasn’t watching. Her mind was elsewhere specifically on a pair of piercing gray eyes and the way James had crouched to Elijah’s level like it was the most natural thing in the world.

She hated it.

And she hated how her heart had skipped a beat when he had called the twins “amazing.”

A knock on the door snapped her out of her spiraling thoughts.

She frowned, checking the time. Almost 10 p.m.

Cautiously, she walked to the door and peeked through the peephole. Her breath caught.

James.

Again.

She opened the door partway, blocking the entrance with her body. “What are you doing here?”