Second Chances

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

-Fast Forward-

I looked down at my two three year olds playing in their play area. Adele began screaming as Demi tried to take one of the Barbie's off of her.

"Hey, hey, Demi look play with yours." I picked up the identical Barbie that was by my feet and handed it to her as she slowly let go of Adele's who stopped screaming and smiled up at me. 

"Sowy." Demi looked at Adele with her big brown eyes, just like mine, Adele smiled.

"S'ok." She giggled. "Les play." She crawled over to the play house with Barbie still in hand, they were identical dolls to limit arguments, Demi quickly followed. 

"Good girls." I smiled as I stepped out of the pen shutting the little gate behind me. The house phone began ringing and I made my way over to it in the kitchen. The number was unknown, if Ethan was here he'd tell me not to answer it as it could be paparazi or fans but curiostity always gets the best of me whenever he's not here, so I picked it up. "Hello?" I answered. The line was silent other than slightly scattered breathing. "Hello?" I asked again, oh God it's probably some psycho, as always I should listen to Ethan.

"Maddi, is that you?" The voice finally spoke. My eyebrows shot up in shock. 

"Nathan?" I inquired.

"Yep." He let out an awkward laugh. "It's me."

"Is everything ok?" I asked him.

"Yes, yes everything is fine-"

"Mummy I hungry." Demi called from the living room.

"Me too!" Adele agreed. 

"Daddy said he'd be home by lunch, hold on a couple more minutes." I told them as I stook my head around the door to see them standing at the gate holding onto it. They pouted and feel simultaniously onto their bottoms. 

"Is that..." Nathan's voice was quiet.

"Yes, that's your daughters." I whispered so the girls wouldn't hear though I doubt they'd understand. 

"Wow." He sighed. "How old are they?"

"They turned three last month." I informed him. 

"And... Daddy is Ethan I assume." He said bitterly. 

"Yes." Of course Ethan would be daddy. He'd been the best dad the girls could have. I put a hand on my swolen stomach where Ethan's biological baby was growing. 5 months. "You weren't here and I didn't know if you were ever going to be so I didn't want to confuse the girls so when they called him daddy for the first time we went along with it."

"Why wouldn't you? He's perfect I bet you wish he was the dad!" He spoke with venom in his voice.

"Don't act as if it's my fault!" I spoke through gritted teeth getting increasingly irritated.

"You're right sorry, it's just hard." I heard another heavy sigh. "That's actually why I'm calling. Tanya gave me this number when you moved in last year but I never plucked up the courage to call it. How come you took so long to get a house?"

"Ethan wanted me and the girls with him on tour." I told him bluntly. "He only brought us a house last year on the girls second birthday." I remember how I'd found out. Ethan had begged to have full reign over the girls second birthday so I allowed it then on the day he drove us to this big house where the party was being held in the back yard. I asked him who's it was and he simply handed me a key. 

"A bit irresponsible." He spat. 

"Don't even start. The girls had the best time and were well looked after by me the entire time. And Ethan looks after them. Where were you? Don't call him the irresponsible one." I deffened my boyfriend strongly. 

"Honey, I'm home!" He sang the word 'home'. I peered around the side of the door to see him walking into the front room with a massive grin on his face. He emptied his pockets, phone and wallet, onto the side and smiled at me. "Who's that?" He wondered as he looked at the phone before turning to the twins who had stood up and were jumping excitedly. 

"Nathan." I told him. He turned around at such a quick speed and his face fell.

"Is that golden boy?" I heard Nathan sneer on the phone. 

"Look, what did you want Nathan?" I sighed as I stepped back into the kitchen. I could hear Ethan pulling himself together and talking to the girls. 

"I didn't call to argue." Yet another sigh. "I want to see the girls. I'm ready, Maddi. It's taken me a whilek but with the help of my wife I've been able to come around to the idea. I really want to meet them."

"So you call me up, diss my boyfriend despite the fact that you're married can I point out how hypocritical of you that is?" I rhetorically asked. "Then expect me to let you see the kids that you tried to forget existed?" I scoffed. 

"Come on Maddi, can you please understand it's not like that. I was heartbroken!"

"Not so much anymore, you're married, it can't be that bad."

"You ran off with another man straight away!"

"Don't argue with me Nathan. You're in the wrong here."

"I know." Unsurprisingly he sighed again. 

"You can see the kids. When?" I questioned him. 

"Tomorrow?" He questioned excitedly. 

"Fine. But you can drive down to London."

"I only life an hour away now so that's fine! How about in this small cafe I know called G's?"

"I know it, the girls love it."

"Yeah that's how I know it." 

"What do you mean?" I asked him curiously. 

"I have a little girl with my wife." He cleared his throat. "She's one and a half." 

"So you have time for her but not Demi and Adele?" 

"I'm sorry Maddi."

"It's not me you need to apologise to." I told him bluntly. "I'll be at the cafe at 12 noon, see you then." I hung up putting the phone back on the hook. Ethan walked in and pulled me into a hug. He put a hand on my bump.

"How's my little man been treating you after this morning?" He kissed my temple. 

"He settled down after I ate breakfast."

"Good." He rubbed circles over our son. "What did he want?"

"To see Demi and Adele." I rested my head on his shoulder. "I have to let him, I always said he would." 

"He is their dad." Ethan spoke sadly. I shook my head after lifting it up to look at him. I put my hand on his cheek. 

"You're their dad. It takes a boy to make a baby but a man to be a dad." I quoted him, I always told him this whenever he felt down about the whole situation. He smiled at me.

"You're right."

"Aren't I always?" I raised an eyebrow cockily. 

"Hm..." He gently kissed me. "I love you."

"I love you too." I kissed him quickly. "Right, I better make lunch for my three little monsters." I winked at him as I ruffled his hair.

"Hey! I'm not a monster!" He grabbed me around the waiste making me laugh. It's moments like this that make me realise how lucky I am and that I definitely made the right decision all those years ago.