Jessica arrived home feeling better than she did when she left Roy at the cafe. She got in and found Angie cuddling the twins on the couch. It was as if they were all awaiting her arrival. Abby and Gabby rushed to welcome her. She patted their back, rubbing their hair as well.
"How are you?"
"Mommy, we missed you. How come you took so long with uncle Roy? Were you having fun without us?" Gabby inquired. Jessica chuckled softly. How she wished she was having fun.
"We had anything but fun." She muttered slowly. The kids didn't understand but Angela could tell that meeting Roy took a toll on her emotions.
"Okay guys, give mom a breathing space okay? C'mon, go watch your cartoons." Angela said, calling to them. Reluctantly, they left Jessica and went to sit on the couch, eyes fixed on the not so interesting cartoon.
Angela pulled Jessica into the room. She sat her on the bed and sat beside her.
"What's the matter, baby?" Angela asked softly.
"I don't know where to begin," Jessica said slowly. She was burdened with the revelation from her past.
"What happened with you and Roy?"
"Well, for starters, he asked why I upped and left without telling anyone. And why I returned with a set of twins who obviously belonged to Edwin, and yet I didn't tell him."
"What? Did he ask that? Is he that unreasonable?"
"No, he's not. He didn't actually know my reason for leaving. And when I told him that I heard their discussion on his birthday, six years ago, he understood why I left. Although he still said something else." Jessica added thoughtfully.
Angela rubbed the back of her hand. "What did he say?"
"He said I should have waited for a little while to hear the rest. He said that Edwin, after talking about me being a bet, told them that he was in love with me."
"He was?" Angela asked with wide eyes. "If he loved you, then why did he refer back to the bet? Why did he first announce that he had won the bet?"
"I don't know, Angie," Jessica whined. "I don't know what to believe. I heard Edwin say he fulfilled the bet of sleeping with me. Then Roy is telling me that Edwin confessed his love for me right after that, and also even said that he had told his mother about me as well. What am I to believe?"
"Calm down J," Angie said. "Do you still love him?"
"What?!" Jessica demanded, looking up at her. "What did you just say?"
"I mean, how does all this make you feel?" Angela corrected.
"Confused. Somewhere I want to hate him but, learning about this is making me reconsider all my decisions, I don't know what to do."
Gabby leaned his head into the door, listening to their conversation. His father loved his mother still? He had to bring them together. Right then, Abby rounded the corner, searching for him.
"Ga-" he closed her mouth immediately, pulling her back outside.
"Shh. I didn't want mom and Aunt Angie to know I was there." He explained. Abby scowled at him.
"Then why did you go eavesdropping if you didn't want to get caught?"
"Well, it wouldn't be eavesdropping if I did get caught," Gabby said with a shrug.
Abby rolled her eyes. "So what did you figure out?"
"Abby, would you want to see dad?" Gabby asked instead. Abby's eyes shone as if she had been offered free candy.
"Yes." She nodded severally to show her answer.
Gabby smiled. "I have a plan. Come with me." He pulled her into his room and shut the door. He went under his bed and brought out a box. He opened the box and brought out a picture. He handed it to Abby.
"Is this daddy?" Abby asked. "He's so cute!" She giggled. "How did you get the picture?"
"That day we watched the lady on TV, mom took the picture to throw away. I found it and took it and hid it."
Abby nodded. "That's smart! So what's the plan?"
"Well, how about we make a trip to daddy's company when we're returning from school on Monday? We can ask Uncle Levi to drop us off there."
"What if he doesn't agree to it?"
"We would begin to cry and make loud noises. I'm sure he would do anything to calm us down to avoid trouble."
"What if he tells mom?"
"We would also make him promise not to tell mom too!" Gabby countered.
"Hm, go on."
"Then we would go in and meet dad. We would dare him to make peace with mom." Gabby shrugged. "I mean I don't know what kind of man he is. But if he still loves mom as I heard, then he will do anything to get her back."
"Well, what about us? Does he not love us?" Abby asked softly. Her big doe eyes were anticipating a favorable response and Gabby noticed it.
"Abby, mommy didn't tell daddy about us. That's why I want us to meet him. Let us show ourselves to him." Gabby explained. Abby frowned softly. Why didn't she tell him?
"Are you ready to do it with me, Abby?" Gabby asked when he noticed her saddened expression. Abby offered him a wide smile. She nodded vigorously.
"Of course! I want to meet dad! But.."
"What?"
"What if they don't let us meet dad?" Abby asked. "The workers in the company."
"We can use the same trick we used on Uncle Levi."
Abby stared at her father's picture once again. Turning to her brother, she had an even firmer resolve.
"Operation gets mommy and daddy back together again," Abby said.
"Deal." Gabby slapped her hand in a high five. "Also, neither mom nor aunt Angie must know about this."
Abby nodded. "I won't tell a soul about it."
"Good," Gabby said. "Now, let's return to our room before they find us missing."
Abby handed Gabby the picture again. He told her to keep it. Abby went to her room and kept it at the bottom of her closet.