Chapter 25

ISABELLA’S POV

 

 

By the second day in the penthouse, our day begins not so quietly especially waking up to the sound of Lila’s soft babbling and Liam already up in bed, messing with his truck as if it might have changed overnight. For a moment I forget where I am. Then the tall windows and the unfamiliar furniture reminds me, that we are still here. We trying to keep to the temporary arrangement we agreed on. This is begining to look like a terrible decision

 

I get the children dressed and take them to the kitchen. Ethan is already there, with coffee in his hand. He has must have learned from yesterday not to disturb me. He simply says good morning without trying to take over. I appreciate the restraint more than I show.

 

Breakfast is simple and tasty except when Liam said that the toast needs “more butter to make it stronger.” When Lila drops a piece of fruit, she looks at me with wide eyes, waiting to see if I will be upset. I clean it up without comment and hand her another piece. Ethan watches our small exchange closely.

 

After breakfast I set the twins up with their toys in the living room. Ethan sits on the floor a short distance away, trying not to force the interaction. Liam eventually rolls the truck toward him and eventually added him to his inner conversation. Lila stays closer to me at first, then slowly edges nearer to her brother. I decide to remain on the couch, and not interfer with them unless needed. 

 

 

ETHAN’S POV

 

 

I am happy learning their character, do's and don't at their own pace.

 

Liam likes explanations. He wants to know how things work and prefers to be taken seriously even when the subject is a cardboard bumper on a plastic truck. Lila wants closeness. She checks for her mother often and offers her bear as a form of greeting once she feels safe enough.

 

At midday Isabella takes them for a short nap. While they sleep, the penthouse suddenly feels too large and too quiet. I stand in the doorway of the guest room for a moment, looking at the two small figures curled under the covers. Two years of this existed without me. The thought still prick my heart.

 

As soon as they wake, the first conflict between I and their mother appears.

 

As Isabella begins preparing them for an early quiet time before dinner. I suggest that a short walk downstairs to the building’s courtyard might help them use up the last of their energy. She disagrees.

 

“They need consistency,” she says. “Their routine is already disrupted enough.”

 

“I’m not suggesting we change everything. Just a few minutes outside.”

 

Her expression tightens. “I know what they need right now. I’ve been doing this every day since they were born.”

 

His voice is not raised, but the words and the manner she use it is sharp. I recognize the boundary she is drawing. I also know that pushing further will turn a small difference into something larger.

 

“All right,” I say. “We’ll stay in.”

 

She looks briefly surprised that I yield so quickly, then simply nods before returning her attention to the children. The moment passes, but it leaves a clear message: cooperation is possible, but trust between us is not yet accepted.

 

 

ISABELLA’S POV

 

 

In the late afternoon I recieve Sofia call and I step into the hallway to answer the call, I didn't want to do so in his presence or that of the children.

 

“How bad is it?” she asks without even saying hello.

 

“It’s civil,” I answer her. “We’re following the temporary plan. He’s trying but I’m watching every second.”

 

“Don’t let him take too much ground too quickly,” Sofia warns. “You’ve been their whole world. That doesn’t get to disappear in two days.”

 

“I know.”

 

After the call ends, I remain there for a moment with the phone in my hand. Sofia’s concern is valid. I can already see the twins adjusting faster than I expected. Liam has started including Ethan in his discussion without being prompted. Lila no longer looks to me for permission before accepting a cup of water from him. Their ease unsettles me even as it relieves me.

 

Later, when my father calls. I choose to answer it.

 

“I’ve been worried,” he says. “You haven’t picked my call and you don't sound like yourself.”

 

I keep the explanation simple. “Ethan knows about the children. We’re working out a temporary arrangement. They’re safe. I’m safe.”

 

He pause for a long time. “Do you need me?”

 

“Not right now. I’ll come see you soon. I promise.”

 

When I return to the living room, Ethan is sitting on the floor with both children. Lila place her bear on Ethan’s lap while patting it as if showing him how to. The scene is ordinary and quietly devastating. I remain in the doorway longer than I intend before they notice me.

 

 

ETHAN’S POV

 

 

Julian calls me in the evening. I step into my study to take it.

 

“So,” he says. “How many hours before the first real argument?”

 

“We already had a small one and I backed down.”

 

Julian makes a thoughtful sound. “Good. Keep doing that when it matters. You can’t force your way into being their father the same way you forced the reveal. She’ll never forgive you if you make the children a battlefield.”

 

“I’m aware.”

 

“Are you?” His tone is lighter but not unkind. “You’ve spent years controlling the outcomes of things. This is different. These two don’t care about your leverage. They care about whether you show up consistently and whether their mother is okay.”

 

After the call I sit at my desk for a while before returning to the living room. Isabella is reading a short picture book to the twins on the couch. Lila is half in her lap while Liam leans against her other side. 

 

When the story ends, Isabella looks up and our eyes meet. Something unspoken passes between us, maybe it is an acknowledgment of the strange new territory we are both walking, and the knowledge that neither of us yet trusts the other to navigate it well.

 

 

ISABELLA’S POV

 

 

Bedtime is more quiet than the night before. The children are more settled in the space. I bathe them, get them into pajamas, and lie down with them until they fall asleep. Liam drifts off first, one hand still resting on his stomache. Lila takes longer, her fingers is curled in my shirt.

 

When I finally step out of the guest room, I see Ethan in the living room with a glass of water, standing near the windows the way he often does when he is thinking.

 

“They’re asleep,” I say.

 

He turns. “Thank you for handling the routine. I know this isn’t what you wanted.”

 

“No,” I agree. “It isn’t. But they’re adapting. Faster than I expected.”

 

The admission costs me something. I see the effect of it in his face before he carefully smooths it away.

 

“I’ll follow your lead on the small things for now,” he says. “Schedule, food, bedtime. I won’t push where it isn’t necessary.”

 

I study him for a moment. The offer is practical. It is also the closest thing to an apology he has given for the way this began.

 

“All right,” I say.

 

I turn back towards the guest room. At the doorway I pause.

 

“They’re going to keep asking questions,” I tell him without looking over my shoulder. “About why we’re here. About you. We need to be ready with simple answers they can understand.”

 

“I know.”