A Ghost From The Past

Prologue

Chuck's POV

17 years ago, I watched my wife leave with zero remorse. She left me and her two infant daughters. The girls weren't biologically mine, but I had never felt so connected and protective of anything else in my entire life. The day that Mari left, I vowed to myself to never let anything hurt those two girls. 

I had met Marilyn early on in her pregnancy. She had no idea where the baby's father was, and I had recently found out that I couldn't have children of my own. It seemed like a perfect match. Things started out great in the beginning. Mari and I got along and did fine living together. I helped her prepare for the baby, which later turned into twin girls, as much as possible. I painted their nursery and bought everything we needed. I thought this was a real chance for the family I always wanted. I started to notice Marilyn's changing attitudes closer to the girls being born. I attributed it to stress or nerves but later found out it was none of those. As the girls got older, I was so grateful that their mother had left before they could remember her, and they didn't have the negative memories of their mother. 

Flashback:

My wife, Mari, and I were currently facing off. She stood at the far side of the nursery, closest to the door. I stood in between her newborn twin's cribs, glaring back at her. 

"I can't do this," Mari stated. She seemed eerily calm. I was so confused what she was talking about. I had come in here to calm one of the twins down when Mari refused to get up. 

"Do what?"

Her whole demeanor seemed to change. "This," she pointed between us. I don't want to be a mother, now or ever. The twins were an accident that never should have happened."

It felt like my world had stopped spinning and I had stopped breathing. 

"Mari, I don't care if you're not ready to be a mother. We have two babies that need us", I screamed at her.

"Well I don't want them anymore", Mari started. She looked me dead in the eyes as she grabbed her bags.

"Marilyn, those girls aren't even my biological daughters but I'm willing to raise them as my own", I stated firmly. I couldn't let her leave with two baby girls screaming. She was their mother, and I was their stepfather. Marilyn grabbed her bags but stood at the door.

"Charlie, I love all of you but I don't think I'm ready to be a mother. If I stay here every time I look at those babies, I'll see my mistakes, and I can't handle that. Goodbye." I watched as she walked away, wondering what kind of person did I marry? What kind of person, let alone mother, leaves her children? Lillian started crying so I quickly went to get her. By the time I got up there, Jillian had started crying. I sighed and walked into their room. I grabbed Lilly first and then Jill. I walked to the window and saw Mari getting in the car. Jillian got distracted but somehow, I knew Lilly had looked straight at her mother as she was leaving. I'll never forget the way Lilly looked at me after the car left.