Ivery's POV. As I made my way home, I prayed that my mother would agree to come with me. I prayed that she would understand my need to leave, to start over somewhere new. My mother could be headstrong, I knew that. She could be stubborn, and I knew that it might be hard to convince her to come with me. I knew that she might argue with me, might try to talk me out of it. But I also knew that she loved me and that she would do anything for me. I hoped that she would understand, that she would see the need for us to leave. But even if she didn't, I knew that I had to try. I finally made it to my mother's house, and I stood on the doorstep, taking a deep breath. I closed my eyes and then knocked on the door, my heart pounding in my chest. I waited, the seconds feeling like hours. Then, I heard footsteps, and the door opened. My mother stood before me, her eyes wide with surprise. “I was not expecting you to be back this early ?” she asked, her voice full of concern.“What I went to do

Ivery's POV. Six years later. As my eyes fluttered open, I was blinded by the bright sunlight that was streaming through the window. I tried to sit up, but I couldn't move, my limbs refusing to cooperate. My head was pounding, and I felt like I had been hit by a truck. As my vision cleared, I saw Cassandra lying beside me, her face pale and drawn. And then I saw Caden, his hand clutching mine. I carefully pushed myself into a sitting position, trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake the children. As I looked around the room, my eyes landed on Celine, who was sleeping peacefully at the edge of the room. I let out a sigh of relief, glad that he was safe and sound.My kids were always such sound sleepers, but they always seemed to sleep even more soundly on weekends. It was almost as if they knew it was the weekend, and they wanted to make the most of it by catching up on their sleep. I couldn't help but smile as I thought about how blessed I was to have them in my lif

Ivery's POV. I took a deep breath, preparing myself for whatever she was about to say. “Of course, honey,” I replied, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. She bit her lip, and I could see that she was nervous. I waited patiently, giving her the time she needed to gather her thoughts.The question came out in a whisper, but it felt like a bomb had gone off in the room. “Do I have a father?” she asked, her eyes fixed on the floor. My heart sank as I realized what she was asking. I had gotten used to answering this kind of question from my kids, but this one felt different. There was a weight to it, a sense of urgency that I couldn't ignore. It was as if they needed a real answer, not just a platitude or a vague response. I knew I had to be honest with them, even if it was difficult. I needed to tell them the truth, even if it wasn't easy. I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts, and thinking about what I would say before I spoke.“Your dad is dead, I have told you multiple

Ivery's POV. I stepped into the room, but the kids didn't even look up. They were all facing away from me, their backs turned in a clear show of defiance. I knew I had to handle the situation carefully, but I wasn't sure where to start. I cleared my throat, and they all shifted slightly but didn't turn to look at me. The silence in the room was deafening. I took a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts.“I'm sorry about what happened earlier,” I said, my voice soft but firm.“Please, can we talk?” I asked, desperation creeping into my voice. But there was still no response. I tried again, this time with a pleading tone. “Please, just talk to me. We need to talk about what happened.” My heart was pounding, and I felt a sense of panic rising within me. I knew I had to do something to break the tension. I decided to try something different. I bent down and started to tickle all three of them at once. They squealed and giggled, trying to wriggle away from my hands. It was like a

Ivery’s POV. “I love you,” he said, looking me straight in the eyes. “I've loved you since the first moment I met you. I tried to forget about it, but I couldn't. No matter how hard I try, I just can't stop loving you.” I was stunned, and my mouth went dry. I had no idea how to respond. I had never expected to hear those words from him.And then, he did something that caught me completely off guard. He leaned in and kissed me, gently at first, and then with more passion. I was too shocked to do anything but stand there, my mind racing. What was happening? Why was he doing this? I felt a mixture of emotions – confusion, fear, anger, and a little bit of disappointment. I pushed him away, my hands on his chest. “What are you doing?” I cried out, my voice shaking. He looked at me, his eyes wide with surprise. “I… I'm sorry,” he stammered, reaching for me. But I didn't want to hear it. I just wanted to get away, to escape the situation. So I ran, my heart racing, my mind in a whir