Felicia knelt before our boys, her hands gently cradling theirs, her breath uneven. I could see the tension in her shoulders, the fear wrapped around every movement, every word she was about to say.
I didn’t move. Just stood there, heart pounding in my chest as I watched the moment unfold—the moment that would change everything.
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“Boys… this is your father.”
The world seemed to hold its breath.
Wind stirred the leaves around us. A bird chirped somewhere in the trees. But in that moment, it all felt impossibly distant. The only thing that mattered was what came next.
Max looked up at me, blinking slowly, then turned to Danny. “He was our father the whole time?”
Danny’s brows furrowed. He didn’t look at his brother. He stared at me. Studied me. Like he was trying to figure out if this was real or just another story meant to protect them.
“But… why didn’t you tell us?”
Felicia’s voice trembled, her hands tightening around theirs. “I was scared,” she said softly. “Scared of what it would mean… of how it would change things. But you deserve to know the truth.”
The guilt in her voice twisted something in my chest.
I stepped forward slowly, dropping into a crouch so I could be eye-level with them. My hands shook, but I kept my voice steady—even if it felt like I was standing on the edge of breaking.
“I never stopped thinking about you,” I said. “Not for a second. I missed everything. First steps. First words. First dreams. And that’s on me. But don’t think, not for a moment, that I didn’t love you.”
They didn’t answer.
But they were listening.
Watching.
Max tilted his head. “Did you ever play games when you were little?”
The question hit me sideways.
I blinked, then let out a breath—half a laugh, half a sob. “Yeah,” I said. “All the time. Hide-and-seek was my favorite. I was the best at it.”
Max grinned. “No way! I bet I can hide better than you!”
Danny crossed his arms, still skeptical but clearly curious. “You said you were the best… but were you ever the fastest?”
I grinned back. “That’s a good question. I used to be really fast. Wanna test it out?”
They looked at each other, eyes lighting up. “Yes!”
Their voices rang out together, loud and full of joy, and gods—it nearly broke me. For the first time since I found out they existed, I felt like more than a ghost on the outside. I felt like Dad.
I ran with them. Laughed with them. Let them chase me into the field beyond the clearing. Their laughter was music I hadn’t known I needed until now.
For the first time… we weren’t just blood.
We were a family.
I glanced back to Felicia. She stood off to the side, arms wrapped around herself. Her expression was unreadable—equal parts guarded and soft.
Then—
Clap. Clap. Clap.
The sound sliced through the moment like a knife.
I stopped cold.
So did the boys.
Felicia’s posture snapped rigid, alarm flashing across her face.
Then I saw her.
Danielle.
Leaning casually against a tree just beyond the clearing, her arms folded, her crimson lips curled into a smirk that made my blood run cold. Her icy blue eyes glittered with something that didn’t belong here—something poisonous.
My jaw tightened.
My entire body went still.
“Danielle,” I said, the name burning like acid in my mouth.
She cocked her head, that smirk widening like a blade unsheathed. “What a happy fucking family.”