“Who are they?”
I looked directly into his eyes.
“You invited us.”
His jaw tightened.
“I asked who they are.”
Ethan stepped closer to me.
“Mom?”
Adrian looked at him.
The boy had Adrian’s exact eyes.
There was no denying it.
Vanessa stared at the four boys.
Then at Adrian.
“Adrian…”
He didn’t answer.
His mother appeared behind him.
She looked at the boys.
Then she covered her mouth.
“Oh my God.”
I watched the realization spread across the faces of everyone standing in that doorway.
Eight years ago, Adrian had called my pregnancy a lie.
Now the truth was standing in front of him.
Four times.
Page 4
Adrian stepped outside.
“Can we talk?”
I nodded.
The boys stayed with his mother.
We walked several feet away from the house.
He turned toward me.
“Are they mine?”
I almost laughed.
“That’s your first question?”
His face tightened.
“I need to know.”
“You already know.”
“I need to hear you say it.”
I looked at him.
“They’re your sons.”
He closed his eyes.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then:
“Four?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t know.”
“You didn’t want to know.”
“That isn’t fair.”
I stared at him.
“You told me I was lying.”
“I was confused.”
“You called me a liar.”
“I was afraid.”
“You left.”
He looked away.
“I thought you had cheated on me.”
“I didn’t.”
“I know that now.”
I felt something inside me crack.
“Now?”
He looked at me.
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Your medical records.”
I frowned.
He continued.
“After the divorce, I requested a copy of the records from the clinic.”
“Eight years ago?”
“No.”
He swallowed.
“Three weeks ago.”
I stared at him.
“Why?”
“Because Vanessa and I were discussing having children.”
That sentence hurt more than I expected.
He continued.
“She asked me to have a fertility evaluation.”
I said nothing.
“The doctor asked about my previous medical history.”
He looked at the house.
“That’s when I found out something.”
“What?”
“My fertility numbers were extremely low.”
I felt my stomach tighten.
He looked back at me.
“The doctor said there was almost no chance I could naturally father children.”
