The apartnt felt quieter than usual when Katherine pushed the door open, her shoulder still weighed down by her work bag. The sll of crayons and faint traces of dish soap lingered in the air, a familiar comfort after a long day. She slipped off her heels, letting them fall neatly by the shoe rack, and loosened her scarf. Her body ached in that way it always did after hours of deadlines and endless calls, but the exhaustion softened the mont she heard small feet pattering across the floor.
"Mom!" two voices sang in unison.
Before she could even set her bag down, Nathan and Maya ca bounding toward her, each holding a slightly bent notebook, paper sticking out from the sides. Nathan’s hair was a little mussed, his shirt untucked, while Maya’s braids had co loose at the ends.
"Hi, guys-" Katherine started, but before she could ask what they were holding, another figure appeared from the hallway.
Jazz, the babysitter, erged with her tote bag slung over one shoulder, already pulling on her jacket. "Hey, Miss K. They were great today, as usual."
"That’s good to hear," Katherine said, smiling back despite her fatigue. "Thanks again, Jazz. I don’t know what I’d do without you."
With a quick nod and a "Bye, munchkins," Jazz headed for the door. Katherine followed Jazz to the entryway. She barely had ti to turn around before-
"Mommy, Mammy-" Maya started breathlessly, shoving her notebook toward her mother.
"We have howork," Nathan added, calr but no less insistent.
Katherine let out a small laugh, setting her bag onto the console table and crouching down so they were all at eye level. "Howork? Already? You two didn’t waste any ti."
"It’s not just howork," Maya corrected, her tiny finger tapping the top of the page. "It’s a family tree. We have to make our family tree."
Nathan nodded solemnly, as though this was a matter of great importance. "We don’t know what to put for... you know." He glanced at his sister, who whispered sothing in his ear before looking back at Katherine with wide, expectant eyes.
Katherine’s smile wavered, just barely. She straightened up, smoothing her skirt, and nodded toward the dining table. "Alright. Let’s see what we’ve got."
They all sat down together, the twins pulling chairs close to hers. The table was already scattered with a couple of colored pencils, a ruler, and a half-empty glass of milk. Katherine reached over to the bookshelf in the corner, sliding out a thick photo album whose cover was slightly frayed at the edges. She carried it back to the table and laid it in front of them with a soft thump.
"Let’s start with what we know," she said, trying to keep her tone light.
The twins leaned in, their small hands flipping through the stiff plastic pages. "Oh! That’s when we went to the park!" Maya giggled, pointing at a blurry shot of them on a swing set. Nathan turned another page and tapped a picture of his first birthday, where his hair was sticking up in every direction.
Katherine chuckled quietly, her fingers brushing over the photo as if she could smooth ti itself. The air felt warr in monts like this, full of the little pieces of their life she treasured most. But as the pages turned, she felt the inevitable approach of the question she’d been dreading.
When they reached a section filled with baby pictures, soft cheeks, gummy smiles, the clumsy toddling of their first steps, Nathan’s finger stopped on a photo where Katherine was holding both of them in her arms, looking tired but impossibly happy.
"Mom," Nathan said, his voice soft, "do you have a picture of our father?"
The question landed like a weight in her chest. Katherine’s hand froze mid-turn, and for a mont, the hum of the fridge in the kitchen was the only sound in the room. She lifted her gaze to the twins, their innocent faces, eyes full of genuine curiosity, not accusation.
She smiled, but it was a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "So things... are a little complicated," she said gently. "We’ll find a way to fill it in, alright?"
Maya frowned. "But the teacher said it’s important. A family tree is supposed to have all the family."
Katherine reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind Maya’s ear. "And we will. Just... maybe not in the sa way other kids do."
The twins exchanged a look, the kind of silent sibling communication that adults could never fully decode. Katherine felt the silence stretch, her fingers idly tracing the edge of the album. She wanted to tell them everything and nothing all at once.
Before she could think of what to say next, the doorbell rang.
The sound jolted all three of them, Maya’s head snapping toward the door, Nathan already halfway out of his chair. "I’ll get it!" he said, sliding down from his seat.
Katherine rose quickly. "No, I’ll get it," she said, her tone sharper than intended. She smoothed her blouse, her pulse suddenly quicker.
Crossing the short hallway to the door, she felt an odd mix of curiosity and unease twist in her stomach. She wasn’t expecting anyone. The twins had already padded over behind her, peeking from around her legs as she unlocked and pulled open the door.
And there he was.
Felix stood in the doorway, his hair a little tousled as though he’d just co from outside, his jacket unzipped. In one hand, he held a lot of paper bag, and in the other, a casual half-smile that didn’t quite hide the sharpness in his eyes.
"Hey," he said simply, his voice low but familiar.
Katherine’s fingers tightened slightly on the edge of the door.
"Mom, it’s Uncle Felix!" Maya bead, stepping forward, while Nathan craned his neck to see around her.
Felix’s smile ward as his gaze shifted to the twins. "Hey, you two. Mind if I co in?"
Oh, perfect. This was exactly what she had wanted, wasn’t it? Him showing up.
Except now that he was here, Katherine’s chest felt oddly tight.
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