Too Late To Love Me I Already Left With His Twins (Lydia and Dave) novel Chapter 231

“I think so too.”

“And…”

She hesitated.

“…Mom?”

“Hm?”

“Do you think I’m cool?”

I gasped dramatically.

“Ava.”

She giggled.1

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“Yes?”

You seriously have to ask me that?”

She shrugged sheepishly.

“I just wanted to know.”

I cupped her face gently between my hands.

“I think you’re one of the coolest little girls I’ve ever met.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“You build robots.”

“You ask impossible questions.”

“You make homemade star maps.”

“You’ve convinced your brother that black holes are not actually giant vacuum cleaners.”

She laughed loudly.

“He still doesn’t believe me.”

“I know.”

“And…”

I tapped the tip of her nose.

“…you’re kind.”

“That’s the coolest thing about you.”

Her eyes softened.

Then, without saying another word, she leaned forward and hugged me.

Tightly.

I held her just as tightly.

Sometimes children didn’t need grand speeches.

They only needed to know someone saw them.

After a minute she pulled away.

“So…”

she whispered conspiratorially,

“…can I tell you another secret?”

I smiled.

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“I have a feeling I’m about to hear one anyway.”

nodded eagerly.

“I think Eli gets jealous whenever someone says I’m smart.”

I burst into laughter.

“Oh?”

“But….”

She looked guilty.

“…I think I get jealous too when people say he’s funny.”

That surprised me enough to pause.

“You do?”

She nodded.

“Everybody laughs around him.”

“And…”

she sighed dramatically,

“…I want people to laugh around me too.”

My heart melted all over again.

“Oh, sweetheart.”

I tucked another curl behind her ear.

“Do you know what’s beautiful?”

“What?”

“You don’t have to be the funniest person in the room.”

“You don’t have to be the smartest either.”

“You just have to be Ava.”

She frowned thoughtfully.

“But people like different things.”

“They do.”

“And that’s okay.”

I smiled.

“Your brother can make an entire room laugh in under thirty seconds.”

She giggled. 1

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“That’s true.”

And you can make an adult question everything they know about the solar system.”

She laughed harder.

“That’s also true.”

“You two aren’t competing.”

“You’re simply different.”

“And different is wonderful.”

She rested her head against my shoulder.

“I like being me.”

“I’m very glad.”

“Because being someone else sounds exhausting.”

Пlaughed.

“It absolutely is.”

She yawned suddenly.

A long one.

“There she is.”

“Who?”

“The little girl who’s pretending she isn’t sleepy.”

“I’m not-”

Another yawn interrupted her.

I raised an eyebrow.

“Mhm.

She surrendered.

“…Maybe a little.”

“A little?”

“…A medium.”

“Better.”

I took her to the bedroom and pull the duvet over herself before reaching for the bedside lamp.

Just before I switched it off, she reached out and caught my hand.

“Mom?”

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* རྞ

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“Yes, baby?”

Thank you for coming home.”

Ifroze.

Those six words landed somewhere deep inside me.

Not because they were dramatic.

Because they weren’t.

They were simple.

Children had a way of making ordinary sentences feel extraordinary.

I bent down and kissed her forehead.

“There is nowhere in this world I’d rather come home to.”

She smiled sleepily.

“I love you.”

“I love you more.”

“You always say that.”

“Because it’s always true.”

She closed her eyes with the tiniest smile still lingering on her lips.

Within minutes…

Her breathing became slow.

Steady.

Peaceful.

I remained beside her for another few moments, watching the rise and fall of her little shoulders beneath the blanket,

Then I quietly stood, switched off the lamp, and walked toward the door.

As I stepped into the hallway, I glanced toward Eli.

The little menace had apparently fallen asleep hours ago.

I smiled to myself.

One child had interrupted my evening because someone wanted to be her friend.

The other had probably gone to sleep dreaming about dinosaurs fighting astronauts.

Balance.

That was motherhood.

And somehow…

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I wouldn’t have traded it for anything.

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Three Days

Mia’s PON

Three days

That was exactly how long Anna allowed me to enjoy my peace before she came to collect the debt I apparently owed her.

I had barely settled into my office that morning when my assistant knocked twice before peeking her head through the door with the kind of expression that immediately made me suspicious.

“Ma’am…”

I looked up from the quarterly reports spread across my desk.

“Yes?”

She hesitated.

“You have… a visitor.”

I frowned slightly.

“I don’t remember scheduling one.”

“You didn’t.”

That earned her my full attention.

“So why do you look like you’re about to laugh?”

She bit the inside of her cheek, failing miserably to hide her smile.

“… You’ll see.”

Before I could ask another question, she stepped aside.

And in walked Anna.

Or rather…

A walking flower shop.

She was carrying the largest bouquet of flowers I had ever seen in my entire life. It was overflowing with white lilies, blush roses, peonies, hydrangeas and eucalyptus leaves wrapped in elegant cream paper tied together with a satin ribbon. It was so ridiculously huge that I genuinely wondered how she had managed to see where she was walking.

I blinked once.

Twice.

“Oh…”

I sighed dramatically.

“…God.”

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Anna lowered the bouquet with theatrical grace before spreading both arms wide like she’d just arrived on stage For the final act of a Broadway production.

“My beloved!”

My assistant immediately turned on her heels.

“I’ll… leave you two.”

Smart woman.

The door hadn’t even fully closed before Anna marched across my office, dramatically shoved the bouquet into my arms and gasped as though she had just reunited with a long-lost lover after decades apart.

“Lydia!”

I struggled to keep the flowers from swallowing my entire face.

“Anna…”

“How dare you!”

I laughed.

“We’re starting with violence today?”

“We’re starting with betrayal.”

She placed the back of her hand against her forehead dramatically.

“I have suffered.”

“Oh, please.”

“I have.”

“You’ll survive.”

She pointed an accusing finger at me.

“I rearranged my entire Friday night.”

“I even told my husband that if he wanted quality time with his wife, he would have to respectfully wait because I had plans with my soulmate.”

I stared at her.

“Your soulmate?”

“Obviously.”

“And then…”

She narrowed her eyes.

“…my soulmate abandoned me.’

I couldn’t hold my laughter anymore.

“Anna.”

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“No.”

She refused immediately.

“We’re not skipping over this.”

She walked around my office inspecting random objects as though she were conducting an official investigation.

“I deserve answers.”

“I deserve compensation.”

“I deserve emotional damages.”

I leaned back comfortably in my chair.

“You’re impossible.”

“No.”

She corrected proudly.

“I’m unforgettable.”

“That’s… unfortunately true.”

She gasped loudly.

“Unfortunately?”

I smiled sweetly.

“I chose my words carefully.”

Anna placed both hands on her hips.

“You know…”

she said with complete seriousness,

“…if anyone else had cancelled our virtual movie night, I would’ve accepted it.”

She leaned closer.

“But you?”

She dramatically poked my shoulder.

“You.”

“Do you know how serious I take girls’ night?”

“I do.”

“I literally told my husband no.”

“I know.”

“I told him my best friend required me.”

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“I know.”

And then…”

she threw both hands into the air,

“…where were you?”

I rubbed my temple dramatically.

“Working.”

“Business.”

“Meetings.”

She immediately held up a finger.

“No.”

“No?”

“No.”

“I specifically asked you not to come with business nonsense.”

She folded her arms.

“I heard something.”

My brows lifted.

“Oh?”

“I heard there was… company.”

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.

“…Anna.”

“What?”

“Who told you?”

She smiled innocently.

“I never reveal my sources.”

“You don’t have sources.”

“I absolutely do.”

“You gossip.”

“I gather intelligence.”

I burst into laughter.

“Same thing.”

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She gasped dramatically.

is not!”

“It absolutely is.”

I sighed in surrender.

“Fine.”

She leaned forward eagerly.

“So?”

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…is probably correct

Lydia POV

I shook my head.

“Whatever you’ve heard…”

I reached for my laptop again.

“…is probably correct.”

Her mouth fell open.

“You admitted it?”

“I don’t have the energy to argue with you today.”

She clapped excitedly.

“I knew it!”

“I knew something happened.”

“Anna.”

“Hm?”

“I said you were probably right.”

“I didn’t say what you were right about.”

She blinked.

“…Oh.”

Then she frowned.

“Wait.”

“…You’re clever.”

“I’ve been trying to tell you that for years.”

She pointed at the bouquet still occupying half my desk.

“By the way.”

I looked down at it.

“What?”

“You’re welcome.”

I smiled softly.

“They’re beautiful.”

“I know.”

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“I picked every flower myself.”

You absolutely paid someone to.”

“…Details.”

I laughed before looking back at the enormous bouquet.

“Anna…”

“What?”

“Are you trying to court me?”

She didn’t even hesitate.

“I mean…”

She tilted her head thoughtfully.

“…I’m still deeply in love with my husband.”

“Thankfully.”

“But…”

she grinned mischievously,

“…if he ever annoys me, you’re my backup.”

I placed a hand dramatically over my chest.

“I’m honoured.”

“You should be.”

“Sadly…”

She sighed theatrically.

“…you’re also my backup.”

I shook my head.

“You are unbelievable.”

“I’ve been told.”

She finally dropped into the chair opposite mine and crossed one elegant leg over the other.

“So…”

she said.

“I’m thirsty.”

I blinked.

“…Congratulations?”

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“I’d like fruit tea.’

tared at her.-

“Anna.”

“Yes?”

“We don’t sell fruit tea.”

She smiled brightly.

“I believe in you.”

“I run a PR firm.”

“I know.”

“Not a café.”

“I still believe in you.”

I pressed the intercom.

“Grace?”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“Can we… somehow make fruit tea?”

There was a pause.

“I think so.

“Thank you.”

Anna beamed proudly.

“See?”

“I knew you could.”

I laughed quietly, wondering for perhaps the millionth time how one woman possessed the energy of an entire kindergarten class.

When the tea arrived, she took one sip, closed her eyes dramatically and sighed.

“This…”

she declared,

“…is why we’re friends.”

“Because I bribed you with tea?”

“No.”

She smiled.

“Because you always make impossible things happen.”

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For a brief second…

The jokes faded.

The sincerity in her voice warmed me more than the tea ever could.

Then, naturally, she ruined the moment.

“Anyway.”

She clapped once.

“This weekend.”

I immediately became suspicious.

“What about it?”

“My kids.”

She counted on her fingers.

“Your kids.”

“My husband.”

“You.”

“Me.”

“A full day together.”

I nodded slowly.

“…Okay.”

“Six in the evening.”

“We’ll spend the night.”

“The kids can play.”

“We’ll cook.”

“Watch movies.”

“Gossip.”

“Complain about adulthood.”

“Pretend we’re still twenty-two.”

I smiled.

“That actually sounds lovely.”

“I knew you’d say yes.”

“I wasn’t finished.”

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“You were.”

wasn’t.”

“You were going to say yes eventually.”

“…Also true.”

For another hour she stayed in my office, somehow turning every conversation into three different conversations. We started talking about business, somehow drifted into parenting, then into skincare, then into the questionable fashion choices we’d made in university, then into why she firmly believed expensive candles made stressful lives easier. She somehow managed to tell me about a supplier who nearly gave her a heart attack, one of her children insisting that broccoli was “tree-flavoured,” her husband accidentally shrinking one of her favourite sweaters in the wash, and a client who wanted luxury branding on what she described as “a budget that couldn’t even afford luxury punctuation.”

By the time she finally stood to leave, my cheeks actually hurt from laughing.

She hugged me tightly before walking toward the door.

“Don’t cancel on me again.’

“I’ll try.”

“No.”

She turned around.

“Promise.”

Mifted both hands.

“I promise.”

Only then did she seem satisfied enough to leave.

The office felt strangely quiet after she disappeared.

Anna had that effect on people.

She entered rooms like confetti and somehow left them feeling emptier than before.

The rest of my afternoon disappeared beneath meetings, strategy sessions and contracts that seemed determined to multiply every time I finished signing one.

By the time I finally arrived home, exhaustion had settled into my shoulders.

Thankfully…

The cure came running toward me.

“Mom!”

Two familiar voices echoed through the hallway before two tiny bodies crashed into me.

I laughed, steadying myself as Eli wrapped himself around my waist while Ava hugged my arm.

“Hello to you two as well.”

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“You brought bags!”

announced dramatically, already spotting the shopping bags hanging from my wrist.

“1 did.”

His eyes widened.

“For us?”

I pretended to think about it.

“Hmm…”

“Maybe.”

That was all the invitation they needed.

Within seconds we were gathered in the living room floor, colourful shopping bags spread between us as though Christmas had arrived several months early.

“I know…”

I laughed.

“…I’m probably creating little shopaholics.”

“Probably?”

The nanny muttered under her breath.

Lignored her.

The first dress belonged to Ava.

The second…

Also Ava.

The third…

Eli immediately held up.

“Mom.”

He looked at me suspiciously.

“Why are mine always so handsome?”

I blinked.

“… Because you are handsome?”

He nodded thoughtfully.

“Fair enough.”

Ava had already disappeared behind the sofa to change.

Less than two minutes later she came skipping back into the room wearing a soft lilac dress with tiny

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embroidered stars scattered across the skirt.

twirled unce

Then twice.

“Mom!”

She beamed.

“I look like a galaxy!”

“You absolutely do.”

Eli rolled his eyes dramatically.

“Girls always spin.”

“We do.”

“I don’t understand it.”

“You don’t have to.”

He shrugged.

“I guess.”

His own outfit consisted of beige chinos, white trainers and a forest-green polo shirt that somehow made him look both adorable and strangely responsible.

He adjusted the collar proudly.

“I look like I pay taxes.”

I laughed so hard tears gathered in my eyes.

“You most certainly do not.”

“I look like I own a company.”

“You look like someone who still needs help tying his shoelaces.”

He sighed.

“Details.”

After the fashion show had finally ended, I clapped my hands together.

“So…”

Both little faces looked toward me.

“Guess where we’re going this weekend.”

Anna’s house.”

I hadn’t even finished the sentence before Eli cheered.

“Yes!”

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“We’re sleeping over?”

We’re spending the evening there.”

“With Auntie Anna?”

“Yes.”

“And her kids?”

“Yes.”

Ava’s eyes suddenly widened.

“…Wait.”

The excitement returned almost immediately.

Plans began flying across the room.

Board games.

Movies.

Pillow forts.

Pancakes.

Cookies.

At some point Eli confidently announced he intended to beat everyone at every game regardless of whether he’d played it before.

Ava informed him that confidence wasn’t a strategy.

He disagreed.

Passionately.

I simply sat back on the sofa, watching the two of them talk over each other with the kind of joy that filled entire

homes.

Maybe Anna had been right.

Maybe we all needed a day that wasn’t about deadlines or meetings or responsibilities.

Maybe…

We simply needed each other

The next morning…

At exactly six o’clock…

I stood beside Eli’s bed.

“Goooood morning.”

A muffled groan answered me from somewhere beneath the blanket.

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“Eli…”

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I smiled

“No?”

“I’m retired.”

“You are seven.”

“I’m retiring early.”

I bit back a laugh.

“We’re supposed to leave soon.”

Another groan.

“I’m not going anymore.”

I widened my eyes dramatically.

“Oh?”

“It’s too early.”

“I see.”

I nodded thoughtfully before pulling out my phone.

“That’s okay.”

He peeked one eye open.

“Really?”

“Mhm.”

“I’ll just call Auntie Anna and tell her we’re not coming.”

There was complete silence.

Then…

The blanket flew off.

“What?!”

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Chaos

Lydia POV

“Mom.”

I had barely turned toward the door before Eli’s head appeared from underneath his blanket, his hair pointing in approximately seventeen different directions and his eyes suddenly wide with betrayal.

“Don’t call Auntie Anna.”

I paused.

“You just told me you weren’t going.”

“I changed my mind.”

“That quickly?”

He nodded with the seriousness of a man negotiating an international treaty.

“We’re ready.”

I folded my arms.

“Five seconds ago, you were retired.”

“I came out of retirement.”

Ava’s voice floated from the bathroom.

“He’s lying. He was never retired.”

Eli whipped around.

“Nobody asked you.”

“I heard you.”

“That’s not the same thing.”

I laughed under my breath as I watched him scramble out of bed and begin searching for the clothes we’d picked out the night before. The sudden transformation was almost impressive. One minute he had been buried beneath his duvet, threatening to resign from childhood because six in the morning was apparently an unreasonable hour for human existence. The next, he was hopping around his room with one sock in his hand, demanding to know where his other shoe was.

“I can’t find my shoe!”

“It’s beside the bed.”

He looked down.

“Oh.”

Ava emerged from her room already dressed, her hair neatly done and her little backpack hanging over one shoulder.

“You’re so slow.”

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“I’m not slow.”

You’ve been awake for four minutes.”

“Exactly.”

She rolled her eyes.

Then she smiled.

“Mom, you’re going to love what Auntie Anna’s daughter sent me.”

I looked at her.

“She sent me the schedule for today.”

Eli immediately abandoned his search for his second shoe.

“What’s on it?”

Ava’s face lit up.

“Okay, so first we’re doing breakfast.”

“I like that.”

“Then there’s a treasure hunt.”

Eli’s eyes widened.

“Where?”

“I don’t know. That’s why it’s a treasure hunt.”

“That’s not how treasure hunts work.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I’ve watched movies.”

I shook my head.

“Continue, Ava.”

She counted on her fingers.

“After the treasure hunt, we’re doing a science challenge.”

Eli gasped.

“Can I explode something?”

“No.”

Ava continued as though he hadn’t spoken.

“Then there’s a baking competition.”

“Against who?”

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“Everyone.”

‘s expression became intensely competitive.

“I’m winning.”

“You don’t even know what we’re baking.”

“I don’t need to.”

Ava ignored him.

“Then we’re doing a movie.”

“Which movie?”

“She didn’t tell me.”

“Good.”

Eli looked relieved.

“I get to choose.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Why?”

“Because you always choose dinosaur documentaries.”

“Dinosaur documentaries are educational.”

“Last time you made us watch one for two hours.”

“It was fascinating.”

“You fell asleep.”

“I was resting my brain.”

I covered my mouth to hide my laugh.

“And then,” Ava continued, “there’s dinner, a pillow-fort competition, and Auntie Anna said we’re allowed to stay up late.”

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Anna looked around.

Probably.”

Miranda smiled.

“It’s interesting.”

I noticed the slight pause before the last word.

“I don’t think I’ve smelled this brand before.”

Anna shrugged.

“I bought it last week.”

“Oh.”

Miranda nodded.

“Miriam has very sensitive allergies.”

Her gaze moved toward the children.

“I usually have to be careful about fragrances.

Theo looked at her.

“Do you want me to remove it?”

“That might be best.”

Anna’s eyebrows rose.

But she said nothing.

A few minutes later, one of her staff members quietly removed the diffuser from the living room.

I thought that would be the end of it.

It wasn’t.

At lunchtime, Anna brought out a large platter of fries alongside sandwiches, chicken strips and little bowls of fruit.

The children practically cheered.

Miriam reached for the fries.

Miranda stopped her gently.

“Those are fried in vegetable oil.”

Theo looked at her.

“Okay?”

“She doesn’t eat that.”

Anna blinked.

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“I can make something else.”

Miranda smiled.

“That would be lovely.”

“No problem.”

Anna turned toward the kitchen.

I watched Miriam glance at the fries again.

She looked disappointed.

I quietly picked up a piece of fruit and placed it on her plate.

“Try this.”

She looked at me.

“Thank you.”

Her little smile made something warm settle inside my chest.

“You like strawberries?”

She nodded.

“A lot.”

“Then you’re safe with me.”

She giggled.

Miranda watched us from across the table.

“She’s usually very particular about food.”

“I can see that.”

“I’ve worked very hard to keep her diet clean.”

I nodded.

“That’s good.”

Miranda smiled.

“I don’t let her eat much sugar either.”

Her eyes drifted toward the children.

“They’re having quite a lot.”

The room went slightly quieter.

Ava looked down at her plate.

Eli continued eating.

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Anna cleared her throat.

t’s a children’s get-together.”

“Of course.”

Miranda smiled.

“I’m not judging.”

But somehow…

It sounded exactly like she was.

I took a slow breath.

Maybe she was simply anxious.

Maybe she was trying to protect Miriam.

Maybe she was unfamiliar with us.

I decided to let it go.

Until she looked toward Eli.

“He’s quite energetic.”

I smiled.

“Yes.”

“He seems…”

She paused.

“…very different from Miriam.”

Theo’s expression changed slightly.

“Miranda.”

“What?”

She smiled innocently.

“I only meant they’re different children.”

Eli looked up.

“I’m not different.”

Ava immediately defended him.

“You’re very different.”

He frowned.

“That’s not helpful.”

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She laughed.

Miranda smiled.

“Miriam is very calm.”

Eli shrugged.

“I can be calm.”

At that exact moment, he accidentally knocked his juice over.

The glass tipped.

Juice spread across the table.

Everyone froze.

Eli’s eyes widened.

“Oh.”

Miranda’s fingers remained curled around the stem of her glass, her attention fixed on Eli with an expression I couldn’t quite read. For a few seconds, the only sound around the table was the clinking of cutlery and the children’s quiet conversation. Eli had already recovered from the spilled juice, laughing at something Ava whispered into his ear while Miriam carefully folded the damp napkin into a tiny square. I thought the moment had passed. I thought Miranda had decided to let it go. Then she looked at me.

“You know,” she began, her voice deceptively gentle, “children usually reflect the kind of structure they have at home.”

My hand stopped halfway to my glass.

Theo’s head lifted immediately.

Miranda smiled as though she hadn’t said anything remotely offensive. “I’m only saying that because Miriam has always been taught to be careful. She knows how to behave in other people’s homes, especially when there are guests around.”

Ava’s eyes moved between the adults. Eli was still playing with the corner of his napkin, apparently oblivious to the shift in the room.

I placed my glass down slowly. “I’m glad Miriam has been taught well.”

“Oh, she has,” Miranda replied. “I just think children need consistency. Especially when they’re being raised by a single parent.”

The sentence landed differently.

Not because she had mentioned me being a single mother. I had heard worse. It was the casualness of it, the way she had slipped the words into the conversation as though she were commenting on the weather.

Theo’s jaw tightened.

“Miranda.”

She turned toward him. “What?”

“Enough.”

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She gave him a small, confused smile. “I’m having a conversation.”

,” he said quietly. “You’re making a point.”

She shrugged and looked back at me. “Fine. Maybe I’m being misunderstood.”

I could feel the heat beginning to crawl up my neck, but I kept my expression composed. I had spent too many years sitting across tables from executives who tried to provoke me into losing my temper. I knew how to breathe through anger. I knew how to let silence do the work for me.

Then Eli looked up.

“Mom?”

I turned toward him.

“Can I have more chicken?”

The innocence in his voice nearly broke something in me.

“Of course, baby.”

I reached for the serving dish, but before I could put anything on his plate, Miranda spoke again.

“Maybe not too much.”

My hand froze.

Eli blinked.

Miranda gestured toward his plate. “He already had fries, juice, and dessert. Perhaps he should learn some restraint.”

“He’s six,” I said.

“I know.”

“Then let him eat.”

She laughed softly. “That kind of attitude is exactly what I mean.”

I slowly turned toward her.

“What attitude?”

“Indulgence.”

Theo leaned back in his chair, his eyes closing briefly as though he already knew where this was going.

Miranda continued, apparently unaware that she was walking toward a cliff. “You’re clearly a very loving mother, Lydia, but loving children doesn’t mean giving them everything they want. Sometimes children need discipline.”

I felt Ava’s hand slide quietly into mine beneath the table.

I squeezed it.

“What exactly are you suggesting?” I asked.

“I’m not suggesting anything.”

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“You’ve been suggesting things for the last twenty minutes.”

Her smile faltered.

Anna, who had been unusually quiet, suddenly pushed her chair backward.

“I’m going to get more drinks.”

She looked around the table.

“Anyone want anything?”

Nobody answered.

Anna’s eyes flicked between Miranda and me.

“Great. I’m getting everything.”

She disappeared toward the kitchen, very obviously attempting to remove herself from the blast radius.

I looked back at Miranda.

“Say what you actually want to say.”

She hesitated.

Theo spoke first.

“Miranda, stop.”

But she shook her head.

“No. I think someone needs to say it.”

Her eyes moved toward Eli.

“He’s obviously bright, but he’s undisciplined. He interrupts. He spills things. He runs around. He talks constantly. Maybe if his mother spent a little less time working and a little more time actually teaching him how to behave-”

My chair scraped sharply against the floor.

“Enough.”

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Not less

Lydia POV

The word came out before I could stop it.

Every child went silent,

Even the adults.

Miranda looked at me.

I could feel my heartbeat pounding against my ribs, each beat pushing another layer of restraint out of the way

“You can talk about me,” I said, my voice low. “You can make assumptions about my marriage. You can make whatever judgments you want about the way I live my life. But you do not get to stand in front of me and question how I raise my children.”

“I wasn’t-”

“You were.”

My voice cracked through the room.

“You have known me for less than a day, and somehow you’ve decided you understand my children better than I do.”

Miranda opened her mouth.

I lifted my hand.

“No. Let me finish.”

Theo stood.

“Lydia-”

I shook my head without looking at him.

“I would take anything from you, Miranda. I would take every passive-aggressive comment you’ve made since you walked through that door. I would take the comments about the temperature. The air freshener. The food. The sugar. The way my children play. I could sit here and smile through all of it because adults can be ridiculous, and sometimes you let ridiculous people be ridiculous.”

My voice trembled.

“But you do not get to take a shot at my child and disguise it as parenting advice.”

Miranda’s expression hardened.

“I was simply pointing out that perhaps if you were more present-”

That was it.

I laughed once, but there was no humor in it.

“Present?”

I stared at her.

1/5

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“You don’t know anything about me.”

know you’re constantly working.”

“You know what I do for a living. That isn’t the same thing.”

“You’re never home.”

“You’ve been in my house for forty minutes.” 1.

“I’ve heard things.

“From whom?” 1

She fell silent.

I stepped away from the table.

“My children know exactly who I am. They know where I am. They know they can call me at any hour of the day and I will answer. They know that if they fall, I will be there. If they fail, I’ll be there. If they win, I’ll be there. If they’re scared, I’m the first person they look for.”

I glanced at Eli.

His eyes had dropped to his lap.

That sight hurt more than anything Miranda had said.

“And you,” I continued, turning back to her, “don’t get to look at my son because he spilled a glass of juice and decide he isn’t disciplined enough. You don’t get to compare him to your daughter as though one child being quiet makes another child defective.”

Miranda scoffed.

“I never said he was defective.”

“You didn’t have to.”

My voice softened, somehow making the words sharper.

“You said Miriam would never do it.”

Silence.

“That was enough.”

Ava’s fingers tightened around mine..

Then, in the smallest voice, she said, “Mommy…”

I looked down at her.

Her eyes were glossy.

Not crying.

Just overwhelmed.

That was when I realized the children were still sitting there listening to every word.

2/5

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I immediately lowered my voice.

Baby, it’s okay.”

Miranda stood too.

“I think you’re being incredibly dramatic.”

I stared at her.

“And I think you should leave.”

Theo moved between us almost immediately.

“Okay. We’re done.”

Miranda looked at him incredulously.

“You’re taking her side?”

“This isn’t about sides.”

“It clearly is.”

“No,” Theo said, his voice suddenly firm. “It’s about you insulting someone else’s child in their home.”

“I was trying to help.”

“You weren’t.”

Her face flushed.

Anna returned from the kitchen carrying a tray of drinks, stopped halfway into the room, and stared at the scene.

“Oh, hell.”

She set the tray down.

“Okay. What happened?”

Nobody answered.

Miranda grabbed her handbag.

“I don’t need to stay where I’m clearly unwelcome.”

Theo exhaled.

“Miranda, let’s go.”

She looked at me one last time.

“This is exactly what I meant. You can’t control your emotions.”

I smiled without warmth.

‘And yet somehow I’m still controlling myself enough not to say everything I’m thinking.”

Anna’s eyes widened.

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“Lydia.”

Nooked away.

Theo reached for Miranda’s arm, not roughly, but firmly enough to stop the argument from continuing.

“Come on.”

“I can walk.”

“Then walk.”

He guided her toward the entrance.

She continued muttering beneath her breath, but I couldn’t make out the words.

I didn’t care.

The door closed behind them.

The house fell silent.

Not peaceful silence.

The kind that comes after thunder.

I stood there for a moment, staring at the closed door, my chest still rising and falling too quickly.

Then I heard a small sniff.

I turned.

Eli was still sitting at the table.

His little shoulders had curled inward.

I walked over immediately and crouched beside him.

“Hey.”

He looked at me.

“Did I do something wrong?”

Something inside my chest cracked.

I pulled him into my arms.

“No, baby.”

He wrapped his arms around my neck.

“Then why was she angry?”

I closed my eyes.

Because adults were complicated.

Because some people carried their wounds into rooms where children should have been allowed to simply be children.

4/5

Because sometimes grown-ups forgot that words didn’t disappear after they were spoken.

issed his temple.

“She was wrong.”

Ava slid out of her chair and joined us, wrapping her little arms around both of us.

“She was definitely wrong,” she whispered.

Eli nodded against my shoulder.

“Okay.”

I held them tighter.

Across the room, Anna quietly watched us.

For once, she didn’t have a joke.

Didn’t have a dramatic comment.

Didn’t have anything to say.

And somehow, that silence meant more than words could have.

I looked down at my babies and pressed another kiss into Eli’s hair.

Whatever happened between the adults after tonight, one thing was certain.

Nobody was going to make my children feel like they were less than they were.

Not in my home. 2

Not in front of me.

Not ever.

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