The apartnt was quiet now.
The kind of stillness that only ca once the chaos of the day had finally settled—the kids were asleep, the lights were dimd, and the night air outside humd softly against the windows.
Katherine stepped out of the bathroom, her face damp from splashing cold water, her eyes still slightly pink but more composed than before. She rubbed her palms together and found Felix already in the living room, sitting on the couch with a mug of tea resting between his hands.
He looked up when she entered, his eyes eting hers with a concern.
"They’re fast asleep," he said, keeping his voice low.
Katherine nodded. "They were exhausted."
He reached to the side, grabbing the second mug from the table. "Chamomile. Thought you might want so."
She smiled gently, took the cup, and sat down beside him—not too close, but not far either. The tea was warm in her hands, the scent soothing.
For a mont, they both just sat there in silence. Katherine took a slow sip, letting the warmth travel through her chest.
"I owe you an explanation," she said finally, her voice barely louder than a whisper.
Felix didn’t respond right away. He simply turned his head to look at her. "Only if you want to give one."
She smiled faintly at his gentleness. "I do."
She looked down into her tea, swirling the liquid absently. "You rember earlier... when Leonard Ford brought Nathan to the information center?"
Felix nodded once. "Yeah."
"I didn’t know. I didn’t know until I saw him... I had no idea Julio’s uncle was him." She took a breath, her shoulders rising and falling slowly. "Leonard. He’s my ex-husband."
There was a pause.
Felix didn’t speak right away, but she felt his eyes on her, searching her face.
"I thought so," he said after a mont. "The way you looked at him... And the other way around. It was just... you know?"
Katherine gave a small, sad laugh. "You’re getting pretty good at guessing."
Felix’s lips tugged into a half-smile, though his eyes remained serious. "Thanks for confirming it."
She looked at him then, studying the man who had quietly beco such a constant in her life. And he didn’t look away.
Katherine exhaled slowly and leaned back against the couch, her fingers tightening around her mug.
"We were married for two years," she said, her voice growing steadier as she spoke. "At first, it wasn’t that terrible. He was charming. Smart. The kind of man who always knew what to say in public. But behind closed doors, he could be cold. Detached. And... not exactly honest."
Felix frowned, his hands tightening around his own mug.
"He cheated on ," she said softly. "With his first love... I think I’ve known for a long ti. But I was young and stupid, and I kept trying to fix it. To fix him."
She turned her head slightly, her eyes distant as if replaying it all in her mind.
"Then he divorced . I walked out with nothing—no alimony. No settlent. I didn’t want it, by the way. Just a few suitcases and a broken heart." She gave a hollow chuckle. "And, as it turned out, two lives growing inside ."
Felix stiffened beside her. Slowly, he turned toward her, voice low and tight. "Please don’t tell knew you were pregnant but still divorced you."
Katherine shook her head. "No. I found out I was pregnant after the divorce was finalized. I didn’t tell him. I didn’t want to. Not after everything."
Felix put down his mug with a quiet clink and ran a hand over his face. He looked like he was struggling to keep his voice even.
"He cheated on you, and he didn’t even know he had kids out there?" he asked, anger simring under each word.
"I didn’t want anything from him," she said. "No money. No drama. Just peace."
Felix sat forward, elbows on his knees, his jaw clenched tightly.
"Jesus, Katherine." He looked over at her again, his eyes storm-dark now. "That man doesn’t deserve to be within miles of them. Or you."
The edge in his voice startled her, but in a strange way, it was comforting. He wasn’t cold or calculating. He wasn’t trying to pick sides or judge her. He was furious—on her behalf.
She reached over, placed her hand gently on his forearm. "Thank you," she said softly.
Felix looked down at her hand, then back up at her, and so of the tension in his face eased.
"I an it," she added. "Thank you for being angry for . I didn’t let myself be. Not really. I just buried it. Focused on surviving."
Felix nodded slowly, then exhaled sharply through his nose, a dry laugh escaping.
"And here I was," he muttered, "inviting him to dinner."
Katherine smiled weakly. "We don’t owe him that anymore."
"Damn right we don’t."
They shared a brief laugh—quiet, exhausted, but real. The kind that broke through the fog of too many emotions.
Katherine leaned back into the cushions again, this ti letting her shoulder brush slightly against Felix’s. She stared at the ceiling.
"I should’ve told you sooner," she said after a pause. "About Leonard. About everything."
"You didn’t owe that," he said gently.
"It’s not that I didn’t trust you. I just—"
But Felix shook his head, cutting her off kindly.
"Hey. Stop." He looked at her again, softer now. "I’m not mad at you. Not even a little. I get it. So stories... take ti to tell."
Katherine’s chest squeezed.
She didn’t realize her eyes were stinging again until she blinked and a single tear slipped down her cheek.
Felix caught it with his thumb before she could even reach up.
"Don’t," he whispered.
She smiled shakily. "I’m okay."
"I know." He looked at her a beat longer, then added, "But for the record, if he ever tries to do sothing funny..."
"Felix," she warned softly, but he just shrugged.
"I won’t throw the first punch because you deserve to do that," he said with a smirk, "but I won’t stop the second."
Katherine laughed, wiping her eyes again. In this mont, she didn’t feel alone in facing it.
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