Se connecterElena The morning of the meeting, I throw up twice.Once at 6 AM when I wake up. Once at 7:30 after attempting breakfast.The twins watch with concern."Mommy, are you sick?" Luna asks."Just nervous, baby.""Us too. Lucas threw up already."I look at my son, who's pale but defiant. "I'm fine now. Just needed to get it out."We're a mess. All three of us.My phone rings at 8 AM. Andre.I haven't spoken to him since the kiss. Since he walked away. Since everything imploded.I almost don't answer.But the twins are watching, and I need to be an adult about this."Hello?""Elena. I heard about the meeting today. With Damien." His voice is tense. "How are you holding up?""How did you—Sophia told you.""She's worried. So am I. Elena, do you want me there? I can be in the city in four hours. I can come to the meeting, or wait outside, or—""No. But thank you for offering.""I don't like the idea of you facing him alone.""I'm not alone. I have Margaret. And the twins. And honestly, Andre,
ElenaThat evening, we visit Grandmother Rosa.The hospital hallway feels quieter than usual. Or maybe it’s just us. The twins walk close to me, their small hands brushing against mine every few steps, like they need to make sure I’m still there.She's been moved to a regular room—progress—and is sitting up, looking much stronger. The color has returned to her cheeks. There’s light in her eyes again."Tomorrow's the big day," she says.Her voice is steady. Too steady."Tomorrow's the big day," I echo.The words feel heavier coming out of my mouth."How are my brave ones feeling?""Scared," Luna admits, climbing onto the bed. She curls her legs beneath her like she’s trying to take up less space."What if he doesn't like us?"The question hangs in the room. No one rushes to fill it."Then he's a fool and you're better off without him. But mija, I don't think that's going to happen. I think he's going to take one look at you two and fall in love."Grandmother Rosa says it like it’s fact
ElenaWednesday morning, I wake up with twenty-four hours until the meeting and a to-do list that's mostly "don't have a complete breakdown."The twins are unusually quiet at breakfast. Luna pushes her pancakes around her plate. Lucas has barely touched his orange juice."You two need to eat," I say gently."Not hungry," they mumble in unison."Nervous about tomorrow?"Luna nods. "What if he takes one look at us and says we're not his?""The paternity test will prove—""I don't mean prove-prove. I mean what if he looks at us and wishes we weren't his? Like he's disappointed."Four years old and already understanding rejection on a level no child should."Then he's a fool. But baby, I don't think that's going to happen. I think he's going to see you and realize exactly what he's been missing.""While planning a wedding to someone else," Lucas mutters."That's... complicated.""Everything with him is complicated," Luna says. She sounds so much older than four. "Mommy, can we ask you som
Elena The news finds me in the most ordinary moment.I’m standing in the kitchen, barefoot, staring at a pot that has already started boiling over.I don’t even notice.Lucas is arguing with Luna about whose turn it is to wash the plates. The morning light is soft. Quiet. Safe.Then my phone buzzes.I almost ignore it.Almost.It’s Sophia.Turn on the news. Now.That’s all she writes.Three words. Heavy ones.Something cold slides down my spine.I wipe my hands on a towel that’s already damp and reach for the remote. The twins are still bickering in the background. Normal noise. Normal life.I turn on the TV.And there he is.Damien.Sharp suit. Calm smile. That same controlled expression he wore the day he told me the babies couldn’t be his.Behind him are cameras. Flashing lights. A banner with gold lettering.The reporter is glowing.“Tech entrepreneur Damien Blackwood announces his engagement to socialite Vanessa Sterling. The wedding is set for six months from now. Sources say t
ElenaThe text from Margaret comes at 7:42 AM on Tuesday.Damien's attorneys responded. He's agreed to meet. Thursday, 2 PM, at his office. Neutral territory with legal representation present. Prepare the twins. This is happening.I stare at the message while my coffee goes cold.Thursday. Two days.In two days, my children meet their father.In two days, I see Damien Blackwood for the first time in five years.I'm not ready. Will never be ready.But ready or not, it's happening."Mommy, you're making that face again."Luna stands in the doorway of the hospital family lounge, already dressed, hair in lopsided braids she insisted on doing herself."What face?""The worried face. The one you make when you're trying to figure out how to fix something that can't be fixed."Four years old. Four. How is she this perceptive?"I'm fine, baby. Just thinking.""About our daddy? About the meeting?"I should ask how she knows about the meeting. But these are my children. They probably read my ema
Elena The meeting ends the way most of them do lately—abrupt and unsatisfying.“You have until tomorrow,” she says, fingers already closing around her laptop. “Maybe Wednesday if you’re lucky. After that, all bets are off.”The laptop snaps shut. Final. Loud in the small room.“I’m sorry,” she adds, not quite meeting my eyes. “I know this isn’t how you wanted this to go.”I let out a slow breath I didn’t realize I was holding.“Nothing about this situation has gone how I wanted it to go.”There’s nothing else to say. She nods, already mentally elsewhere, and I leave.The ICU feels colder when I return. The smell of antiseptic clings to everything. Machines hum softly, steady and indifferent. Life reduced to numbers and beeps.I spot the twins immediately.They’re perched beside Grandmother Rosa’s bed, animated and glowing, completely unaware of the weight pressing on my chest. Lucas is standing now, arms moving as if he’s directing an invisible orchestra. Luna sits cross-legged, eyes
ElenaThe lawyer's office is in a building that's seen better days—three stories, peeling paint, a flickering neon sign that reads "Chen & Associates, Family Law."Another Chen. This city really does employ all of them.Margaret Chen is in her fifties, gray-streaked hair pulled back in a severe bun
Elena"I can't believe this is you talking. The man who fought for me—" My voice breaks."That man was a fool. Blinded by attraction. By the illusion of connection. But I see clearly now. You're just like Jasmine. Just like every other woman who's tried to use me. Except you're more calculating. Mo
ElenaThe bus pulls into San Esperanza at 4 AM, depositing me in the small plaza where farmers are already setting up for the morning market.Home.The word feels strange after months in the city. San Esperanza is the opposite—small, quiet, unchanged. The same cobblestone streets I ran on as a chil
Elena I sleep for fourteen hours straight.When I wake up in Damien’s guest room, sunlight cuts through unfamiliar windows, too bright, too real. My phone is buzzing nonstop on the nightstand, but my head feels thick, foggy. It takes effort just to lift my arm.Then it comes back.Victoria.The b







