“I never wanted this to happen,” he pleaded, his eyes searching mine for some sign of understanding or forgiveness.
But the trust between us was so broken, so fragile that it couldn’t bear the weight of his confession.
“Why would you put the kids in the same school?” I demanded. “Did you really think they’d never cross paths?”
Jeff shook his head, but Penelope spoke up first.
“Jeff didn’t know about the school. I enrolled Luna there recently. And anyway, Jeff only wanted to know the bare minimum about my daughter – that’s what he asked for.”
I walked away from them, leaving them on the couch as I went to check on the kids.
Standing by the window, I watched Luke and Luna together. They could easily pass for twins. Despite the heartbreak, their laughter was a small comfort. Luke pushed Luna on the swing, and her hair flew behind her as she soared.
They were the innocent victims in this mess. They were a reminder of the purest form of love and connection – that of siblings.
I started washing the dishes. I needed to keep my hands busy. Could a marriage survive such a massive betrayal of trust?
Jeff had cheated on me around the time we were trying to conceive Luke. Was it the pressure of trying for a baby? Or did my husband just not care about our relationship enough?
It also disgusted me that Jeff had only wanted to know the least about Luna, his own flesh – and – blood. All under the pretext of not wanting to hurt our family? Ridiculous.
So, here I am, sitting by the window, trying to figure out my next move. I’m at a loss. Whatever choice I make, something precious will be lost.
The only thing I’m certain of is the growing bond between Luke and Luna. Through all this chaos, the siblings found each other. And I know that neither Jeff, Penelope, nor I will ever break what they’ve discovered. I’ve agreed to try couple’s counseling – for Luke’s sake. But I have no idea what the future holds.