Love, take Two

Chapter 19 - Emily POV

The last few weeks had been perfect. Almost too perfect.

Sam had woven himself into our lives so seamlessly it was hard to remember what it had been like without him here.

He was involved in everything, he helped with their homework and spent afternoons with us in the kitchen, baking, or out in the yard, hammering away at the treehouse he promised the kids.

We hadn't told them the truth yet, but we knew the time was coming soon.

Liam and Lily adored him. They hung on his every word, laughing at his jokes, eager for his attention.

But Logan... Logan was more reserved. He watched from a distance, suspicious.. I didn't blame him. Logan had always been the protector, the one who worried. Still, I hoped in time, he'd come around.

It was a Saturday morning. The sun was shining, the air smelled like fresh-cut grass, and Sam was outside with the boys, putting the finishing touches on the treehouse.

Inside, I was covered in flour, mixing up a batch of cookies. Lily was at the kitchen table, coloring contentedly while I stole glances out the window at Sam.

I couldn't help but smile watching him. He was good with them, patient, funny, everything I'd imagined he would be.

And every chance we got, we sneaked little kisses and touches, stolen moments that felt like we were teenagers again. It was intoxicating, like something out of a dream.

But dreams never lasted.

As I slid the cookies into the oven, I heard the screen door creak open behind me. "Mom!" Logan's voice was tight and sharp. He never called me mom. This immediately put me on edge.

I turned to see him standing there, his face flushed, his eyes red, with unshed tears.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" I asked, wiping my hands on a towel, and moving toward him.

"Is Sam... is he our dad?" Logan's voice cracked, and for a moment, I couldn't speak.

My heart dropped into my stomach. How had he found out? I exchanged a quick, panicked glance with Sam, who looked back at me, guilt etched on his face.

I looked at all of them, my world in front of me. I kneeled on the ground and motioned all three toward me.

My voice was soft when I spoke, "Sam is your dad, guys."

"Mommy told us you left us!" Logan's words hung heavy in the air. His fists clenched, his entire body trembling as he turned to Sam, a mixture of anger and sadness pouring from him.

Liam and Lily stood silently behind their brother, their wide eyes darting between Logan and Sam.

Liam's lip quivered, and Lily's tiny hand clutched her brother's sleeve.

Liam looked at Sam and whispered, "Why did you leave us?" his voice breaking in that innocent way that only a child can, and my heart shattered.

Sam's voice was hoarse as he spoke. "Guys, I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I..."

"NO!" Logan's scream cut through Sam's apology like a blade.

Sam's shoulders slumped, and he looked utterly defeated. He opened his mouth to speak again, but I couldn't take it. "Logan, stop it! That's enough!"

Logan turned away and bolted down the hall. Liam hesitated only a second before he turned and ran after his brother, his little legs carrying him toward Logan's room. His loyalty to his brother was stronger than his confusion.

But it was Lily who stayed, standing in the middle of the room, her small body trembling as she looked up at Sam with tear-filled eyes. The softest voice imaginable broke the silence. "I always wanted you to be our new daddy," she whispered, her lip trembling. "But you were our daddy... and you left us." The innocence of her words, the raw truth of it, struck me like a blow I hadn't been prepared for.

I felt my knees weaken, my heart splitting open. Lily's words hung in the air, echoing painfully in the quiet room.

Sam's face twisted with a pain so deep it made my chest ache. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. What could he possibly say to that?

Lily wiped her tears with her small hands, and before I could reach for her, she ran toward her brothers, her little footsteps echoing down the hall.

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to meet Sam's gaze. His face was pale, etched with guilt and a deep sadness that mirrored the ache in my chest.

His eyes, usually so strong, were full of regret. For a moment, I couldn't speak. All I could do was stand there, the space between us filled with everything we hadn't said, every moment we had missed.

When I finally found my voice, it was small and cracked. "Sam..."

But there was nothing left to say. We both knew it. The damage was done, and I wasn't sure how - or if - we could ever repair it.

"I'll talk to him," I whispered, my voice shaking with the effort to stay composed. But before I could move, Sam spoke.

"No," he said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. "I'll go."

"Please, don't leave. We can explain it to them, talk to Logan, and help them understand. Together. Just... please don't leave us."

But Sam shook his head, his eyes clouded with guilt and sorrow. He turned around, grabbed his keys from the counter, and left.

Sam was gone.

Again.

That night, Liam, Logan, and Lily lay in bed with me.

I wrapped my arms around them, holding them as tightly as I could, wishing I could shield them from the pain that seemed too heavy for their little hearts to bear.

Their tiny shoulders shook as they cried, and I cried with them, the ache of their grief bleeding into mine.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered over and over again, my voice breaking with every word, wishing that somehow my apologies could take away their hurt.

Liam wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, his face puffy and red from crying. "Why did he leave us, Mommy?" His voice cracked, and I felt my heart twist in my chest.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay strong for them. "Sam didn't mean to hurt us, sweetheart," I said softly, brushing a stray curl from Liam's forehead.

"He's trying now. He's trying so hard. Sometimes, grown-ups make mistakes... big ones. But it doesn't mean he doesn't love you. He loves you so much."

Logan, who had been lying silently next to me, turned his face away, still angry, still hurt.

But I pressed on. "Tomorrow, we'll go get ice cream, and we'll talk to Sam. You can tell him how you feel, okay? He wants to listen to you. He wants to make things right."

Lily, curled up beside me, her fingers clutching the sleeve of my shirt, sniffled softly. "Will he stay this time?"

Her innocent question broke me. The tears I had been holding back slipped out, hot and heavy down my cheeks. "I don't know, baby," I whispered. "But we'll try. We'll all try, together."

It wasn't the answer she wanted, but it was the truth. And as they huddled closer to me, their small hands gripping mine, I made a silent vow to myself: I would fight for us. For them.

No matter how much it hurt or how hard it got, I would do everything I could to hold our family together.

But deep down, a part of me couldn't help but wonder... was love ever enough to mend the cracks that had already formed?