𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧, 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐭

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥

I'd never imagined we'd be sitting here, together, as if nothing had ever changed. Our sons, Noah and Na'Jae, were all I ever needed to remind myself that life had moved on, even if my heart hadn't fully healed. They were my world-my reason for every decision I'd made. Now, watching them excitedly chatter at the dinner table on this beautiful rooftop, it felt surreal. The flicker of candles illuminated their faces as they giggled, oblivious to the complicated history between their parents.

Chris was seated across from me, his eyes never leaving the twins. It was hard to ignore how much he had changed since the last time we truly spent time together. He was more attentive, more... there. For Noah and Na'Jae, this man had stepped up in ways I had never thought possible. And yet, here we were, pretending for the sake of the boys that everything was simple, that it wasn't awkward to be in each other's company after all these years.

As much as I tried to maintain my composure, something about this evening felt heavy. Why now? And why all of a sudden?

"Mamí?" Na'Jae's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. He was seated next to me, and before I could even respond, he climbed into my lap. His tiny hands clutched the edge of the table as he wiggled around, getting comfortable.

I laughed softly, wrapping my arms around him. "What's wrong, baby?" I asked, though I already knew the answer. He didn't want anything to be wrong. He just wanted to be close.

"I love you, Mamí," he said, his voice muffled as he pressed his cheek against my chest.

I felt my heart swell. No matter what was happening between me and Chris, these boys were the most important thing in my life. "I love you too, sweet boy," I whispered back, kissing the top of his head.

Chris was watching us with a soft smile. For a moment, there was a glint of something in his eyes, but I couldn't read it. It wasn't the same as the cold indifference I had grown accustomed to during the entirety of our marriage.

Noah, who had been focused on his plate of food, suddenly looked up, his innocent gaze shifting between me and Chris. He had always been the more inquisitive of the two, constantly asking questions that often caught me off guard. Tonight would be no different.

"Daddy," Noah said, his small voice cutting through the quiet hum of the night. "Do you love Mommy?"

My breath caught in my throat. The question hung in the air like an uninvited guest, unwanted yet impossible to ignore. For a moment, I wasn't sure if I had heard him right.

Chris froze, his hand halfway to his glass of wine. I could see the tension build in his shoulders as his eyes flickered between Noah and Na'Jae, who was now looking at his father expectantly. Both of them seemed to be waiting for an answer, their innocent faces so hopeful.

I held my breath, waiting too.

Chris leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. He looked down at the table, almost as if he was gathering the right words. I wanted to save him from the moment, to tell Noah that some questions didn't have easy answers. But something in me, maybe my own curiosity, stopped me.

Chris finally spoke, his voice soft but steady. "I love that your mommy gave me the best gifts I could ever ask for," he said, his eyes meeting mine briefly before shifting back to the boys. "She gave me both of you."

Noah seemed satisfied with that answer, a wide smile spreading across his face as he nodded. Na'Jae, still curled in my lap, grinned too, content with the simple logic of it. For them, it was enough. But for me, it was another reminder of the complex and tangled web Chris and I had spun over the years.