Too Late for Sorry, Mr. Billionaire (Chasing my Wife Back) novel Chapter 86

FRIDAY evenings always arrived with a different kind of warmth.

There was something about the air on Fridays, it always was lighter, almost celebratory. Even the house seemed to breathe easier. The week loosened its grip, and laughter came quicker.

Wendy noticed it first when she heard the honking of the car earlier than usual.

She had just finished rinsing the last plate from lunch when the familiar voices of the twins echoed from outside.

“That is too early,” she murmured, wiping her hands on a kitchen towel.

Fridays.

Of course.

The boys and even Wendy herself closed earlier on Fridays, but today she had intentionally returned home ahead of time. She wasn’t sure why she had hurried, perhaps she had simply wanted the quiet before the storm of pre-teenage energy.

Yet here they were.

The front door burst open with its usual lack of patience.

“We are home!” Gabriel’s voice boomed.

“Smells like food!” Gaddiel added dramatically.

Wendy stepped into the hallway just as they dropped their bags carelessly by the staircase. George wasn't home, reason why they had carelessly drop their bags.

“You two will be the death of that door one day,” she said, trying to sound stern, though the childish smile tugging at her lips betrayed her.

They grinned in unison.

“You are home early,” Gabriel observed.

“So are you,” she replied.

“Friday privilege,” Gaddiel said proudly, collapsing onto the couch like a man who had worked a twelve-hour shift instead of a school day.

“Where is your father?” Gabriel asked.

Wendy tilted her head.

“Stepped out,” she replied shortly.

Lunch had been simple but warm— rice, sauce, and leftover grilled chicken. The kind of meal that filled not just the stomach but the space between people. They ate at the dining table together, the twins recounting exaggerated stories about teachers and classmates while Wendy listened, shaking her head at their dramatics.

Now, with plates cleared and the house settling into afternoon stillness, the three of them migrated to the living room.

The sun streamed through the wide windows, casting golden stripes across the tiled floor. The ceiling fan hummed lazily overhead.

Gabriel lay on the rug, chin propped on his palm. Gaddiel sat cross-legged on the couch. Wendy tucked her legs beneath her, sitting at the far end.

For a while, the conversation drifted aimlessly— school gossip, a friendly football match at school, an upcoming test neither of them seemed concerned about.

Then, without warning, it shifted.

It always did.

“I miss Mom already,” Gabriel said suddenly.

The words fell gently but heavily.

The room softened.

Gaddiel didn’t laugh this time. He nodded.

“She used to make Fridays feel bigger at times… no, most times,” he added quietly. “Like… like something special was always about to happen.”

Wendy stilled.

She had seen photos. She had heard fragments. But the way the boys spoke about their mother, it was never just memory. It was reverence.

“She would order pizza sometimes,” Gabriel continued. “Even when Dad said we already had food at home.”

“And she would pretend it was a secret,” Gaddiel said with a faint smile. “Like we were committing a crime.”

They laughed softly.

“She used to rub my head when I couldn’t sleep,” Gabriel added.

“And she always knew when I was lying,” Gaddiel said. “Didn’t even have to look at me. She would just know.”

Silence followed, not uncomfortable, but full.

Wendy watched their faces carefully. There was no bitterness there. Just longing.

“She sounds… amazing,” Wendy said gently.

“She is,” Gabriel replied without hesitation.

They both looked at her then, almost at the same time.

“What about your mom?” Gaddiel asked.

The question was innocent. Natural.

But it shifted something in the air.

Wendy felt it immediately. Her fingers tightened slightly against her knee.

“My mom?” she repeated lightly.

“Yeah,” Gabriel said, rolling onto his back to look up at her. “What is she like? Where is she? You really haven't said anything about her.”

Wendy held their gaze for a moment, then looked away.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify