Leap OF Fate novel Chapter 95

After their lunch, the group transferred to the nearby hotel. She and Justin watched their children play in the pool in silence. Her eyes soften at the sound of their laughter. It still fascinated her to see how much they’ve grown.

“So, you guys back together?” Mary asked as she walked towards Serene and handed her a glass of juice.

“No,” Serene answered, then sipped the beverage Mary gave.

“Hm… I like to remind you, Shen, how difficult things were for you in the past,” she said, throwing a glance at Justin. He remained quiet throughout the exchange.

Serene chose to not respond to Mary. She knows how hostile Mary could get, especially after what Justin did to her.

Mary held her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “But know that whatever your decision is, I’ll be here for you,” she said, then left her and Justin.

“I’m sorry, Serene.” It is all that he could say. After all, he’s guilty of hurting her and he won’t deny it. It’s his life’s biggest regret.

“Can we agree to move on from that?” she asked him. “If we want to be successful in co-parenting the twins, we need to put those behind us and focus on what we have now.

We can’t change what happened, no matter how much we beat our chest. So why don’t we move on from it? We’re all after what’s best for the twins, right?”

Justin studied her face. She did not say that she has forgiven him, but he cannot force her to. Taking a step forward and leaving their past behind them sounds viable. It’s one step in the right direction.

“You’re right,” he nodded. “How do you think we should co-parent?”

“I guess we can start with the schedules. If you don’t mind, I can have them on weekdays. You can pick them up on Fridays to spend the weekends with you. Are you fine with that?”

“Hmm… We can try it then adjust as needed, you ok with that?”

“Sure.”

She smiled at him. Although they talked like they were discussing business, it’s already an achievement for them. They were no longer at each other’s throats.

“What happened to your dad? I noticed he lost weight,” Justin asked after a moment of silence.

“He had a stroke two years ago. That’s the reason we came back.” she answered.

“I see. How is he now?”

“He’s better. He needed to lose some extra weight as advised by his doctor.” Justin nodded as she explained.

They then sat in silence and kept their eyes trained on the pool watching their children play.

“Justin.” Chester’s voice broke their silence. Justin looked at his brother, then stood up from his chair and gave him a hug.

It had been a long time since he and Chester saw each other. It’s the longest time they did not speak to each other. “I’m sorry,” Serene heard Justin say.

Feeling out of place, Serene made an excuse to bring water to her children. She felt the brothers had a lot to talk to each other. After making sure the children stayed hydrated, she walked towards her parents.

She hugged Conrad’s waist and buried her head on his back.

“What is it, Shen?” Conrad asked, chuckling.

“Nothing, Dad.”

“Are you and Justin back together?” Carol could not help but ask.

“No, Mom. But we agreed to co-parent the twins.”

Carol and Conrad nodded after hearing her answer. “Do you want to get together with him?”