"Samantha, what's going on? You're home late?"
She closed the door and put the kids down, gathering her thoughts as the twins waddled off to play with their toys.
"Oh, you're home early. I had some errands to do while the kids were in daycare." She said, trying to sound nonchalant. "What happened? How come you're home?" Samantha came close seeing the warmth and concern on his face.
"I finished up early. Thought I'd take you out to dinner." He smiled warmly, pulling her into his arms.
Shaun's arms around her brought a sense of comfort, but it was overshadowed by the rush of negative emotions when she thought about the paternity results and his deception. "Your routine has been off these days." He said.
Samantha shifted slightly in his embrace, trying to find a balance between the warmth of his presence and the turmoil going on inside. "I know," she said. "Christmas is coming, so I'm starting to gather some things."
When he moved in to kiss her, Samantha turned her head and used the twins as a distraction. "Shevon, put that down!" She exclaimed, feeling Shaun's gaze lingering on her but didn't turn her gaze to meet his. She carried on with the distraction, using the opportunity to step out of Shaun's embrace and create physical and emotional space, while intervening in the twin's play. "Now, Saint, don't hit him back."
Even though she directed her attention to the twins and was talking, she sensed that Shaun was aware she was trying to deflect. He stood in the same spot where she left him watching them intently.
"Come on, Daddy, let's all play together."
They played with the kids for a few minutes, and then he took her hand. "What's wrong? Don't lie to me."
Samantha's heart fluttered with a surge of panic, watching his hand holding hers. She battled the urge to pull away and the instinct to melt into his familiar touch. The remembrance of his lies, manipulation, and deceit tainted the warmth of his touch, and she slid her hand out from his her mouth in a thin line.
She knew she shouldn't, but she said it anyway. "There are things that I need to sort out and things we need to talk about."
His concerned gaze turned to one of confusion and apprehension. "Things? What things? What happened? Is it something to do with us?" Shaun's gaze searched her face, looking for answers. "Wait, let's put the kids to sleep and deal with this."
Samantha avoided his eyes, directing her attention towards the twins as he gathered them up and prepared them for bed. There was a tense silence between them, as they focused on the kid's innocent chatter and laughter, bathing and dressing them in their favorite onesies for bed. They were asleep halfway through the bedtime story.
"Samantha?" Shaun's voice came through the toliet door. She had left him turning off light to use the toliet. She was trying to gather her thoughts knowing the conversation with Shaun was going to resume and she had to find a way to deflect it. There was this feeling that they were at some pivotal point in their relationship, and the weight of it hung in the air. "Just a minute." She called back, staring at her face in the mirror.
