Nobody spoke.
Adrian’s face changed.
The color disappeared from it.
His lips parted slightly.
He looked at the four boys again.
Slowly.
Carefully.
As though he was looking at four pieces of a photograph he had spent years trying to forget.
Behind him, a woman’s voice said:
“Adrian?”
Vanessa appeared.
She was elegant.
Beautiful.
Perfectly dressed.
She smiled politely.
Then she saw the boys.
Her smile disappeared.
Adrian whispered:
“Who are they?”
I looked directly into his eyes.
“You invited us.”
His jaw tightened.
“I asked who they are.”
Ethan stepped closer to me.
“Mom?”
Adrian looked at him.
The boy had Adrian’s exact eyes.
There was no denying it.
Vanessa stared at the four boys.
Then at Adrian.
“Adrian…”
He didn’t answer.
His mother appeared behind him.
She looked at the boys.
Then she covered her mouth.
“Oh my God.”
I watched the realization spread across the faces of everyone standing in that doorway.
Eight years ago, Adrian had called my pregnancy a lie.
Now the truth was standing in front of him.
Four times.
Page 4
Adrian stepped outside.
“Can we talk?”
I nodded.
The boys stayed with his mother.
We walked several feet away from the house.
He turned toward me.
“Are they mine?”
I almost laughed.
“That’s your first question?”
His face tightened.
“I need to know.”
“You already know.”
“I need to hear you say it.”
I looked at him.
“They’re your sons.”
He closed his eyes.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then:
“Four?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t know.”
“You didn’t want to know.”
“That isn’t fair.”
I stared at him.
“You told me I was lying.”
“I was confused.”
“You called me a liar.”
“I was afraid.”
“You left.”
He looked away.
“I thought you had cheated on me.”
“I didn’t.”
“I know that now.”
I felt something inside me crack.
“Now?”
