The ultimate goal

That evening, as the Langston family returned home, a quietness settled among them that Yvonne couldn’t quite place. Jack and Lily had grown unusually pensive, casting frequent, searching glances at her. Yvonne held their hands as they walked inside, feeling the weight of their little fingers tightening around hers.

The memory of Rebecca’s hug lingered with them all. Yvonne could still feel the faint residue of tension from Micheal, whose jaw had been clenched as he watched Rebecca embrace the twins. It had been a silent battle between wanting to allow this moment for the sake of the children and wanting to protect them from a love that had once abandoned them.

After dinner, when Jack and Lily were tucked in and Yvonne was sitting beside them on their bed, Jack, with his brows furrowed, finally spoke up, his voice hushed but determined.

“Mommy,” he began, his eyes fixed intently on her. “Is that… the bio mommy?”

Yvonne felt her breath catch, her heart quickening at the depth in his qu