"Mom!" Kathleen and Nathaniel shouted as they burst into the sitting room, their excited voices echoing off the walls.
Their eyes lit up when they spotted Athena seated on the couch, watching TV with Gianna and the Thorne couple, Florence and Old Mr. Thorne. The twins ran toward her in the sa breath, leaving Ewan standing by the door with several takeout packages in hand.
"What do you have there, Ewan?" Gianna finally asked, her gaze shifting from the joyous chaos of the twins to the man lingering at the entrance.
Ewan shrugged his shoulders in response, a glimr of amusent dancing in his eyes. "Takeout. The twins ntioned y’all might be hungry."
Florence huffed, a frown forming on her lips. "What? You think there is no food in this house?" She turned to her husband, indignation radiating from her. "Can you imagine the audacity of this youth?"
Ewan laughed heartily, shaking his head as he crossed the room. He leaned down, planting a soft kiss on Florence’s cheek, dispelling her discontent.
The effect was instantaneous; she smiled, her previous worries fading away like mist before the sun.
"You really are sothing..." She muttered, her cheeks flushing, eliciting a chuckle from the audience around them.
"So, what do you have for , son?" Old Mr. Thorne leaned forward, peering at the bags with a twinkle in his eye. "I can see it’s from my favorite restaurant. It’s been a while since I dined there..."
Ewan’s eyes sparkled as he handed one of the bags to Old Mr. Thorne. "Your favorite..."
"You still rember?" The old man asked, a note of awe coloring his voice.
"Of course," Ewan replied, smiling knowingly. He deftly distributed the remaining bags to the won in the living room. "But I have to be going."
He noticed the surprise etched on Athena’s face as she peered into her package.
Did she think he had been entirely blind during their marriage? Not at all—not that he had been blind; he had rely been too angry and vengeful to act on what he had noticed about her over those cold three years.
"Alright then, Ewan. Thank you for these..." Old Mr. Thorne said, his gratitude sincere yet laden with the unspoken weight of their shared past.
Ewan nodded at the complint, sensing that the old man ant more than just the food.
He turned to Gianna, who thanked him as well, and smiled widely at the twins as they waved goodbye to him, their tiny voices chiming a cheerful farewell.
After a final wave, Ewan exited the living room, feeling the warmth of their odd, floating sense of family even as he stepped back into the world outside.
"Ewan!!"
Ewan’s heart thumped as he heard Athena’s voice, the call ringing out like a beacon. He had almost reached the gate and wondered if he was hallucinating.
Yet, when he turned, seeing her walk toward him with purpose, a sense of warmth spread through him, despite the cool exterior she maintained.
"Thank you for this morning—taking care of the kids, and for the food too..." Athena said, coming to a halt before him, her bright eyes reflecting montary uncertainty.
For a second there, as she had glanced down at her package, she had suspected that the kids—or maybe even Gianna—had instructed him on what to buy. But then they had reassured her it was not the case. It could only an that this confusing man had actually paid attention to her, to so extent, during their painful marriage.
The children seed so delighted having been with him; it was obvious they had enjoyed their ti together, especially after the initial conflicts. Athena couldn’t wait to hear the tales of what they had done over the past couple of hours.
"You don’t need to ntion that... it was a pleasure," Ewan muttered, his hands shoved into his pockets, his gaze steady as he stared at Athena like he had all the ti in the world.
Feeling uncomfortable under his intense gaze, Athena nodded slowly, then wetted her lips. "Well, um, I wish you a lovely day."
A pause.
"Please let know when you and Sandro decide to revisit the rubble of the building. I would love to go."
"We’ll be going in the evening. Do you think you will be free then?" Ewan asked, hopeful yet cautious.
Athena nodded, buoyed by the opportunity. "I will make ti. Just let know ten minutes before."
"Sure, I will do so." Ewan replied, but he remained standing in the sa spot, mirroring Athena’s indecision.
Clearing her throat seconds later, Athena frowned, feeling a tension she couldn’t quite place.
Without another word, she turned and walked away, leaving Ewan watching her go.
He lingered for a second before leaving the house, unable to shake the urge to call after her. He wanted to say, "So, this ti next month?" but deep down, he wasn’t ready for the pain that her confirmation might bring.
It was better to bask in the high that ca from spending ti with his children today.
——
As the door clicked shut behind Athena, she turned to the twins, who were clambering back into the sofas, their energy yet undiminished. She didn’t need a seer to inform her that they had been watching her and Ewan, maybe even eavesdropping.
She shook her head, rather amused, especially as the adults too had a ’caught’ expression on their faces. What was going through their minds?
"Hey, kiddos! What did you two do with your dad?" She finally asked the twins, inviting them subtly into the smaller living room, hoping to find more amusent in their joyful recounts, sothing to take her mind off the ’black waters’ surrounding her.
Kathleen and Nathaniel’s faces lit up instantly, the excitent in their eyes shining brighter than ever.
"We went to the park!" Kathleen exclaid, her arms waving animatedly. "We saw ducks in the pond! Mr. Ewan said they were mallards, and we fed them bread!"
Nathaniel chid in, bouncing on his toes, a sharp contrast to his always serious deanor. "And then we played on the swing! I went so high, Mom! I thought I could touch the sky!" His grin was contagious, stretching from ear to ear.
Athena smiled, her heart swelling with both warmth. These monts were precious; they added hues to her children’s lives. "That sounds amazing! And what else?" She prompted, eager to hear every detail.
"There was a playground!" Kathleen gushed, her dreamy expression showing just how much she adored those precious monts spent with her father. "Mr. Ewan helped us fly just like they do in cartoons!"
"We played superheroes!" Nathaniel exclaid, his imagination igniting. "I was Firestorm, and Kath was Thunder Girl! Mr. Ewan was our sidekick, Captain Aweso!" He struck a pose, puffing out his chest.
Laughter filled the room, and Athena could hardly suppress her own joy. "I wish I could’ve seen that! You all sound like quite the team!"
"But Mom," Kathleen said, her tone shifting slightly to sothing tender yet inquisitive, "About Mr. Ewan... any new plans about him?"
Athena hesitated at this straightforward question. New plans about Ewan? The complexities of their relationship swirled around her mind like a whirlwind—it wasn’t just a simple answer. "Well, he is your father," She finally said, her voice softening. "I have to consider him because he’s a part of you." A pause. "But there are no new plans."
"Will you be okay if he pleade with you for more visitation rights?" Nathaniel pressed on, his innocent curiosity evident.
A heavy silence settled in the air, and Athena’s heart ached. "I’m not sure. Things are very different now, honey. But if you wish, I can consider it too..." She explained, trying to keep things simple yet honest.
The twins exchanged looks, and Athena could see the wheels turning in their heads. They absorbed her words like sponges, their expressions reflecting a mix of understanding and concern.
"How was your night, Mom?" Kathleen inquired, tilting her head slightly, moving to another topic as fast as she could breathe.
"It was fine," Athena replied quickly, not wanting to dive into the emotional depths of her struggles, though the slight tremor in her voice betrayed her.
But the twins weren’t convinced. "It didn’t sound like it was fine," Nathaniel said earnestly, concern etched on his small face. "We heard you whimpering... while we waited by your door."
Athena imdiately stiffened, guilt washing over her. Had they been listening? Had they overheard her nightmares? "Oh, sweethearts, I—"
"Did sothing happen to you during the night? Did Mr. Ewan hurt you?" Kathleen’s voice trembled, her innocence flashing with worry.
Athena felt a heaviness in the pit of her stomach. She quickly reassured them, finding strength in her maternal instincts. "No, no, nothing happened. I just... had a bad dream. Sotis, grown-ups have those."
The twins looked at each other, their faces mirroring doubt but also a flicker of determination. "We sent Mr. Ewan a ssage," Nathaniel finally said, their little, courageous voices shining through. "We wanted to know if he hurt you."
Athena blinked in surprise, taken aback by their protective instincts. "You did what?"
"Just to make sure," Kathleen clarified, her lips pursing together, nodding vigorously. "He picked us up in the car when you were feeling sad. We didn’t want you to be sad anymore!"
Emotions swirled in Athena’s heart—tender love intermingling with irritation. "You don’t need to worry about like that, babies. I’m your mom, and I can take care of myself," She explained gently, crouching down to et their gaze.
"But we want to take care of you too!" Nathaniel insisted, his eyes glimring with loyalty.
Athena sighed. She placed a comforting hand on each of their shoulders. "I know you want to protect , and I love you both so much for that. Just rember, sotis there are things no one else can control... even grown-ups,"
"Okay, Mommy. But if you feel sad, what can we do?" Kathleen asked, her brows furrowing in thought.
"Just distracting with your happiness is enough," Athena replied, pulling them both into an embrace.
As they hugged her tightly, she inhaled their sweet, familiar scent.
"I need your special giggles to remind of the joy in life," She whispered, kissing the top of each of their heads.
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