(Anj’s POV)“Negative! Negative! Negative!” Anya chimed in as she kissed the girls on the head.Dylan glanced at her as he stood up and gave her a glass of milk.Anya raised her eyebrows and looked at him. “You know I’m a coffee person, Dylan.” She looked at the glass of milk as if Dylan had given him something weird.The girls giggled. “You look funny, Aunt Anya,” Selene said.I smiled, missing this kind of morning where I could hear my girls giggling because their Aunt Anya made them happy or did something funny. “You’re not drinking coffee from now on,” he said as he sat back in his seat and checked on Leyanne’s plate. “Eat your fruits, Leyanne.”“But I don’t like cantaloupe,” She pouted, and before Dylan could encourage her, Lyra Helene picked up the slice from her plate.“I like cantaloupe,” she put it in her mouth and smiled at me.“And I don’t like milk,” Anya said. “You know I’m lactose intolerant, right?” She snarled at him.“It’s lactose-free,” he answered. “End of discus
(Anj’s POV)“Are we there yet?” Leyanne asked.“Not yet,” I answered as I turned the car to an exclusive residential neighborhood where I think the most expensive homes were. “Are we there yet?” Selene asked this time.“Almost,” I said nervously, glad that they were my daughters because if not, I might lose my patience with them.“Are we there yet?” It was Lyra Helene’s turn to ask.“I guess,” I whispered as I gazed at the familiar metal gate. We had to go through the security guard, but when I showed him my ID, he did not ask any more questions; he opened the gate for us, and I drove to the familiar long driveway before stopping in front of the main door.I took a deep breath after stopping the car, inhaling and exhaling again when I opened the door and waited for my children to get out of the vehicle. I did not tell them why we were visiting their grandfather because I was afraid that Steve might be on his deathbed, and I had no intention of bringing the bad news to my children b
(Anj’s POV)“Just kill me, Sky,” I gritted my teeth, so furious at him that I wanted to hurt him.Steve begged us to talk in private and sort things out after my three children wailed as Selene told them the terrible news that their father wanted them to stay, just them, excluding the mom in the picture.We could have talked in some other places in the house, but he chose the bedroom, and I was too angry at him that I stomped my feet and walked upstairs. His bedroom had not changed a bit, maybe the linens or the curtains, but it was the same way I remembered it.He was quiet, just sitting on the edge of the bed, his elbows propped on his knees while his hands were on his head.“You don’t make the decision alone when it comes to my children, Sky,” I said angrily, and as I paced around his bedroom, my chest was in pain as I listened to them crying outside while Finn was trying to calm them.“I only said that because you scared me, Anj. I know you… You will outsmart me again and leave wi
(Anj’s POV)“What gift?” I asked again when Steve didn’t answer.“Let’s talk about it some other time when my son isn’t here,” he chuckled. He tapped his bedside, asking Sky to sit beside him, and when he did, he only held and squeezed his hand.Tears welled in my eyes, hating this moment like being part of his last breath. I took a deep breath. “Mr. Mars -”“Steve, please,” He cut it. “Dad would be much… much better,” he whispered and smiled at me.“Steve, then,” I chuckled softly. Calling him dad would be weird for me. “Olivia said just a short visit, and I haven’t prepared for this one-week stay. Would you mind if we go home and get some stuff for the kids and me?”“No. I’ll provide you with everything you need,” Sky cut in, gritting his teeth like he was ready to bite me.Leyanne gasped and looked at me. “But Nitro -”“And my homework -” Lyra Helene cut in.Sky looked at Selene, waiting for her to utter her concern.“I just want my Mommy,” she said, not smiling at him. “And you ca
(Anj’s POV)“What’s he doing here?”Dylan came in with a paper bag of groceries in his arms as Anya opened the door for him and beat her into asking the question.“Uncle Dylan! Aunt Anya!” My three kids rose to their feet and ran to them, puckering their lips as they kissed Dylan and Anya on their cheeks.I stood up, helping him with the paper bag. “Long story, but he has no plan of leaving for tonight,” I said as I walked with them toward the kitchen.“Where would he sleep?” Anya raised her eyebrows at me. “I’m not sleeping in your bedroom.” “Why would you sleep in my bedroom?” Dylan asked, turning to her.She sneered at him. “I’m talking to my cousin, Handsome. Not you. And why would I sleep in your bedroom?”He raised his hands. “Just asking, Anya. At least we’re clear on that.” He peeked at the kitchen door. “I’m cooking grilled chicken and baby potatoes. Who wants baby potatoes?”“Me!” Selene raised her hand and chuckled.“I do!” Leyanne and Lyra Helene said altogether, causing
(Sky’s POV)Hate…Yes, we must have loathed each other at this time because I could not stop myself from kissing and touching Angela. Perhaps she couldn’t bear my presence because her hands clutched my shirt as she kissed me back.I caught her hands and pushed her back gently at the closed door, pinning her hands above her head as I deepened the kiss. Her mouth released a short sigh when my hand groped under her camisole, freeing her beautiful breasts from being imprisoned in her bra.“I hate you, Sky,” she moaned in my mouth.“I hate you, too, pumpkin,” I whispered, releasing her hands to lift the hem of her shirt, but the powerful soft knocks on the door stopped me.“Mommy,” It was Leyanne’s voice. “Aunt Anya is asking if you’re done operating Dad’s hand?”I closed my eyes and chuckled quietly.Angela cleared her throat. “Yes, baby.” She took a deep breath, fixing herself before opening the cabinet. “Tell Aunt Anya and Uncle Dylan I’m almost done.” Her hands were trembling as she ap
(Sky’s POV)“Say it, Anya,” I said, not looking at Anya as I joined them for dinner.“Nothing,” She shook her head, smiling wickedly as she ate, but as she chewed her food, she kept looking at the band-aid on my finger.“You envy my band-aid? Angela has plenty in the cabinet,” I said, ignoring her again.She chuckled. “I was just wondering how many stitches Anj did, that’s all.”Angela rolled her eyes. “Anya, it’s a small cut,” she hissed.“That’s exactly my point,” She turned to my daughters, pretending to glare her eyes at them. “Cover your ears.” My children raised their hands and did what she told them, covering their ears. “What took you so long?”“We can still hear you, Aunt Anya,” Selene giggled.She grinned. “You must have powerful ears,” she winked at them, putting her index finger to her mouth, gesturing them to keep quiet.“She did ten stitches on my finger,” I said, looking at Selene, hoping she would smile at me, too, but she lowered her gaze.“I’m sorry, Daddy,” Lyra He
(Sky’s POV)Sleeping in a small old bed was worse than waking up with a hangover, but when I saw my little angels walking and making noises in the early morning, this one was a treasure, much better than Frank’s or Catherine’s good news about the company hitting the goals.“Wake daddy up,” I heard Angela saying to one of our daughters.I groaned but smiled when two of my daughters dove into me as if I was a swimming pool. “Ugh!” I groaned. “I think they hit my -”“I hope not the -” Angela cut in worriedly.“Ribs,” I continued, smiling naughtily at her.She rolled her eyes at me. “That’s what I’m about to say, Sky. I hope not the ribs,” When she smiled, Leyanne and Lyra Helene giggled, pulling me up from the bed. “Don’t hurt Daddy. That’s my job,” she said, kissing Selene. “You all want to go to school today?” “Uh-huh! Uncle Dylan said Teacher Joy will teach us the spelling of words today,” Selene answered while her mother combed her hair.“Daddy,” Leyanne said, “Teacher Joy is a good