"Kids, got to your rooms." Chris says.
All four of them run off together.
I walk into the nursery, laying Beth and Olivia down.
I walk back and Chris and Sherman are standing in the exact same spots. Clearly not having said anything to each other.
"What are you doing here, Sherman?" I ask.
"I came to see my kids." She says.
Chris looks angrier than I've ever seen him.
"You lost the right to call then your kids when you left them here a year ago." I say angrily.
"This is a conversation between me and my husband." She says.
"He is not your husband." I say, stepping forward. "He is my husband. And those are my kids."
She rolls her eyes.
"Sophia and Dante are my kids." Sherman says. "You can't keep me away from them."
"I have a court order that allows me visitation with them." Sherman says, pulling the paperwork out of her bag.
"You know what, Sherman, fine." Chris says, "You want to see them? Fine."
He walks into the back of the house and kids come back out with him.
Sophia hides behind my legs, her arms wrapped tightly around me.
I rest my hand on the back of her head, keeping her close to me.
Chris picks Dante up and he looks confused.
"Remember her kids?" He asks.
"Mama." Sophia says quietly.
"Yeah, baby?" Sherman says.
"Mama, why is she back?" Sophia asks, looking up at me.
"I don't know, baby." I say quietly.
Sophia starts to cry and I pick her up.
"Dante..." Sherman says quietly.
"Daddy who is she?" He asks.
Sherman looks almost stunned.
"The order from the judge allows me an hour with them once a week." She says.
Chris steps to the side, letting her into the apartment.
I hand Sophia to Chris, walking into the back of the house.
I tell August it's alright to come out and play and I pick up both the girls.
Beth plays with my hair, giggling, and Olivia coos at me.
Sophia and Dante both sit in Chris's lap on the couch while Sherman sits across from them in one of the overstuffed chairs.
Chris sets Dante down next to August so they can play with their trucks.
"There's two of them." Sherman says looking at me.
"Yes. We have two daughters." Chris says. "I don't see how that's any of your business."
"Six kids." She says. "Thought you only wanted two."
"Maybe I changed my mind. Maybe I was lying to you. Maybe I only told you that because I didn't want anymore kids with you." Chris says.
Sophia lets go of her death grip on Chris and looks up at Sherman.
