Dinner resud in warm harmony, now with an extra plate set neatly at the table for Felix. The twins, who had practically lit up like fireworks the mont he walked in, took turns recounting their school day, their laughter filling the air.
Maya, however, wasn’t done voicing her earlier complaint.
"Uncle Felix," she said with a tiny pout, stabbing a piece of broccoli with her fork. "You didn’t visit us for so long. I thought you forgot us."
Felix offered an apologetic smile, his eyes softening. "I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t an to. I just had so things to take care of. Grown-up things."
Katherine, sitting across from him, gently intervened. "Maya, Nathan, rember what I said? Uncle Felix is a busy man. He has lots of work, okay?"
Maya and Nathan both nodded, albeit reluctantly.
"Now I feel bad," Felix chuckled lightly.
"If you feel bad," Maya perked up again, her eyes sparkling with mischief, "you should take us to the the park!"
Nathan chid in eagerly, "Yeah! We saw it on TV the other day. It looks super fun. There’s this ride that goes up and then zoom! It drops!" He threw his hands into the air for emphasis.
Katherine raised a brow and pointed her fork at them. "Didn’t I just say you should be more understanding?"
But Felix waved it off with a smile, raising his hand in playful surrender. "Alright, alright. I’ll see my schedule, and we’ll try to go soon. No promises yet."
That was enough for the twins. They let out an excited cheer and high-fived each other across the table, their giggles bouncing off the walls.
Katherine shook her head in disbelief, though a warm smile tugged at her lips.
Once dinner concluded, Katherine started gathering the plates, only for Felix to rise from his chair.
"Let help," he said.
"You’re the guest," she replied, but didn’t stop him when he took the plates from her hand.
Side by side, they stood at the sink, washing and drying in comfortable silence. Occasionally, their arms brushed, and they exchanged small smiles.
Felix reached for a soapy plate and scrubbed it with mock concentration. "You know," he said lightly, "remind again why you don’t use the dishwasher?"
Katherine grinned, rinsing a plate and setting it aside. "I just like washing dishes by hand because it’s... calming."
Felix gave her a look—equal parts amused and baffled. "Of course you do. You would."
After the dishes were done, they joined the twins in the living room for a bit more quality ti. Maya showed Felix her new drawing from school, and Nathan dragged him into a short ga on the floor.
Eventually, bedti crept in. The twins said their goodbyes with tight hugs and sleepy yawns. Felix kissed the tops of their heads.
"Goodnight, little stars," he murmured.
Katherine led them to their room, tucked them in, and sang softly until their breathing evened out. Then, she closed the door quietly and padded back to the living room.
Felix was sitting on the couch, his body relaxed but his gaze distant, as if lost in thought. When Katherine joined him, he looked up and offered a small smile.
"You didn’t have to spoil them with the park promises," she said, settling next to him.
Felix tilted his head toward her. "They deserve it. And besides," he paused, looking toward the hallway where the twins had disappeared, "aren’t they mine too?"
Katherine blinked, her lips parting slightly. She smiled, but this one was quieter, touched by his words. But the words lingered in her ears, echoing louder than they had when he’d said them.
Aren’t they his too?
Her breath caught slightly, and for a brief second, her thoughts drifted to that night—when Leonard had shown up out of nowhere.
Biologically, yes, Leonard was their father. But in every other way that mattered...
Katherine shifted in her seat and pinched the soft skin of her thigh—hard. Just enough to jolt herself out of the thought spiral.
Not now, she told herself. Later.
She turned her gaze back to Felix. "They really miss you, you know. They keep asking why you stopped coming by."
Felix let out a soft sigh. "Like I said, I had things to deal with. Loose ends to tie. But also... I guess, it was kind of a test."
She tilted her head. "A test?"
He nodded slowly. "Yeah. For myself. To see if I could stay away from all this. From them. From you."
Katherine stayed silent, processing.
"And I realized," Felix continued, his voice dropping to sothing tender, "that I can’t. Not really. I missed the noise. The tiny footsteps. The chatter at dinner. Even the ss."
His eyes found hers.
"I want you," he said. "Your voice. Your smile. Your presence."
Katherine’s breath caught for a second, her eyes blinking with the weight of those words. She opened her mouth, but no words ca.
Katherine cleared her throat, the sound small but sharp in the quiet. She swallowed once, then again, trying to settle the sudden flutter in her chest.
Felix took a breath, the kind that felt like it ca from deep inside his chest. He shifted, stepping just a little closer—not enough to crowd her, but enough to be felt.
"I know I joke around a lot," he said softly. "Probably too much. It’s how I cover things. Deflect. Make things easier when they’re not."
Katherine’s eyes t his again, wary but attentive.
"But this?" His voice was steady now. "This isn’t a joke."
Felix reached for her hand, slowly, gently, his fingers brushing over hers before fully curling around them.
"I tried to live without this. Without you. But I can’t."
She looked at him, really looked at him—at the softness in his gaze, the vulnerability he rarely showed, and the warmth of his hand over hers. It said everything he couldn’t say.
He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles, eyes still locked on hers.
"I don’t think I can live without you anymore."
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