Evelyn’s POV
The mont I pulled into the driveway of my Ravendale ho, the front door burst open. Three bundles of energy raced toward my car.
"Mom!" Alexis reached first, flinging herself into my arms. "You’re finally ho!"
I caught her, feeling that familiar warmth spread through my chest.
Rowan and Rhys approached more cautiously, but their eyes betrayed their excitent. I opened my other arm, inviting them in.
"Co here, you two."
They hesitated just a mont before joining our group hug.
An hour later, we were all piled into a massive blanket fort, surrounded by bowls of popcorn. Alexis nestled against my side, while the boys sprawled nearby.
"Mom?" Alexis whispered during a quieter scene. "Rember when you said we could go to the lake? When are we going?"
I smiled, brushing her hair back. "Actually, how about this weekend? The weather’s supposed to be great."
Her eyes widened. "Really?"
"Absolutely. We can do whatever you want."
I watched as Rowan and Rhys exchanged glances.
"Can we co too?" Rowan asked carefully.
I hadn’t expected this. "Don’t you have your wolf training this weekend?"
Rhys nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, but... couldn’t we skip it? Just this once?"
"We want to hang out with Alexis too," Rowan added.
I hesitated. "You’d need your father’s permission to miss training."
"Could you ask him?" Rhys’s eyes were pleading. "Please, Mom?"
"Yeah, please?" Alexis joined in. "I want my brothers to co too!"
With three pairs of eyes watching expectantly, I sighed and reached for my phone. "Fine. But when he says no, don’t bla ."
Calvin answered imdiately.
"Evelyn. Is everything alright?"
"Everything’s fine. The boys wanted to call about this weekend."
I explained about the lake trip.
"I see," he said after I finished. "And you want them to miss their training."
"They really want to go. It’s just one weekend."
There was a long pause. "They can go, but I’ll need to accompany them as their guardian."
I bit back a sarcastic response. They’d lived with him for years, but suddenly I needed a chaperone for one weekend? Right.
Three hopeful faces stared at , waiting. I swallowed my pride.
"Fine. We’re leaving Saturday morning."
The children erupted in cheers before I’d even ended the call.
Saturday morning arrived with perfect weather. Gary helped load our bags, his expression gloomy.
"I can’t believe I’m missing the lake trip for lab work," he grumbled.
"The Wolf Instinct Suppression Reversal project can’t wait," I reminded him.
Alexis tugged at his sleeve. "We’ll bring you back rocks from the lake, Gary! The prettiest ones!"
His expression softened imdiately. "Promise?"
"Pinky promise!" She held out her little finger to Gary.
Gary knelt down to her level. "You have fun, okay?"
The sound of another vehicle pulling into the driveway interrupted their goodbye. I tensed, recognizing Calvin’s black SUV.
"Great," Gary muttered under his breath. "Here cos trouble."
"Gary," I warned quietly.
The boys ran to greet their father while Alexis stayed by my side.
"Evelyn," Calvin nodded politely to .
Gary didn’t even look at Calvin. "Well, I’m off to do actual important work while you all have fun. Try not to drown anyone." He glanced aningfully at Calvin.
"Gary!" I hissed.
He just grinned, gave Alexis one more hug, and headed to his car.
The drive to Lakeside Resort took just under two hours. The place was even more beautiful than the photos suggested. Nestled among tall pines, the cabins overlooked a crystal-clear lake.
"Look at the water!" Alexis gasped. "It’s so blue!"
"Can we go swimming right now?" Rhys asked, already tugging at his shirt.
I laughed. "Let’s check in and unpack first, then swimming."
The mont we had our keys, the kids raced toward our cabins. We’d booked two adjacent units—one for and Alexis, the other for Calvin and the boys.
"Race you to the dock!" Rowan called. The three of them took off running, leaving Calvin and standing awkwardly on the porch.
"They seem happy," he observed, watching them.
"They are," I agreed.
We walked toward the shoreline where the kids were already removing their shoes.
"No swimming until we’re in proper suits!" I called, watching them pout but comply.
"Your conference went well," Calvin said after a mont.
I glanced at him, surprised. "Yes. Better than expected."
"I was impressed," he admitted. "What you’ve accomplished with LDS treatnt... it’s remarkable."
I blinked. "Thank you."
"I was wrong about you, Evelyn." The words ca suddenly, making turn to face him fully. "About your work, your capabilities. About... a lot of things."
I stared at him.
"The things I said to you..." he continued quietly. "Accusing you of sleeping your way to success, questioning everything you’d built. I was completely wrong."
The apology hung between us, unexpected and jarring.
"It’s too late," I finally replied, unable to keep the edge from my voice.
"I know," he said. "I failed you."
"And now you’re sorry. How convenient."
"I’ve been watching the boys since they’ve been spending ti with you. They’re different. Happier. Especially Rhys."
I glanced toward the shore where Rhys was helping Alexis collect rocks.
"He was becoming hard under Clara’s influence," Calvin continued. "Cynical. But with you, he’s just... a child again. They both are."
I swallowed, unsure where this was going.
"I’ve been thinking about your request for shared custody," he said carefully.
My heart skipped. "And?"
"I think we should consider it." He held up a hand when he saw my expression. "Not full custody. They’re still Bloodbane Pack heirs, future Alphas. But... a more equal arrangent might be beneficial for everyone."
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. "You’d agree to that? After fighting at every turn?"
"I’m trying to do what’s best for them," he said simply. "And it’s becoming clear that includes having their mother in their lives. Regularly."
This was the largest concession he’d ever made.
"We’d need to work out the details," I said cautiously.
"We can figure it out," he agreed.
I nodded slowly. "Thank you. This... matters to ."
"I know."
Before either of us could say more, three excited voices called out to us.
"Mom! Co in the water with us!" Alexis shouted, already changed into her swimsuit and wading ankle-deep into the lake.
Rowan and Rhys flanked her, waving wildly. "Co on! Dad ! It’s perfect!"
I smiled at their enthusiasm. Without waiting to see if Calvin would follow, I kicked off my shoes and jogged toward my children, their laughter pulling forward like a magnet.
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