I didnât say anything.
Instead, I turned to look at the door.
Just as I thought, it was open.
Bright sunlight streamed into the room as Jenifer walked in with the two kids.
The three of them came towards Caleb and me, bathed in sunlight.
âGood afternoon,â Jenifer said, her face breaking into a warm, contented smile.
Just like the kids, she caught us in an embrace too.
Each kid stood by Jeniferâs side, holding one of her hands while the other hand covered their face.
They stretched their necks to peer at the sofa.
âDad, Mom, why did you stop hugging each other? Are you shy?â
A wave of embarrassment washed over my face.
How long had they been watching?
Feeling a bit awkward, I quickly stood up from the sofa and greeted Jenifer.
âGood afternoon!â
Caleb stood up as well.
While I was visibly flustered, HE seemed much more at ease.
He offered a smile and asked casually, âMom, what brought you here so early today? Donât you usually arrive when itâs getting dark?â
âItâs because of my daughter-in-law, Debra,â Jenifer explained.
Her eyes softened as she looked at me.
âElena and Dylan have really missed their mom these past few days.
The moment they knew sheâs coming back today, they couldnât wait and pleaded with me to bring them home.
â
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âMommy Iâ
As soon as Jenifer finished speaking, the eyes of the two kids welled up with tears.
They ran to me immediately.
âMom, we miss you so much!â
They clung to me tightly, as though they feared I would disappear.
I reached out to pat their backs and comfort them, but I hesitated.
Casting a quick glance at Caleb, I gave him several discreet winks.
I wasnât sure if the kids knew I had been in the detention center, so I avoided bringing it up.
I worried that they would accidentally find out.
Luckily, Caleb caught on to my signals and whispered reassuringly, âHoney, itâs okay.
Iâve kept it under wraps.
Elena and Dylan had no clue youâd been stuck in detention lately.
They just thought you were buried in work.
â
âThatâs a relief.
â I sighed.
I didnât want to alarm the kids because of my issues.
They were still so young and unaware of the complexities of adult life, filled with unexpected events.
I wanted to spare them any sadness.
I gently patted them on the back and comforted them, âI missed you too when I was caught up in my work.
â
âReally? How much did you miss us?â
âI missed you so much, I almost lost my mind!â
The two kids smiled through their tears, but they still clung to me tightly.
âWe want Dad, Mom, and Grandma all together.
Itâs been so long since we were all together.
â