“You’re leaving?” Jason asks, his earlier playful tone replaced with a mix of surprise and what looks like disappointment.
This is not how I wanted to bring this topic up tonight, but I guess it’s too late now. I straighten my posture and clear my throat. “Yeah, I am. In two days actually. Sofia will be coming by to help me move.”
“When were you going to tell me?” he croaks, his voice wavering slightly, as if the words are getting stuck in his throat.
“I was planning to tell you as soon as Jake went to bed.”
For a long minute, the table falls silent. Even Jake senses the tension, sitting quietly with his head down, absently picking at the grains of rice on his plate.
As if sensing the shift in the room, Jason quickly tries to brush it off, mostly for Jake’s sake, but I can tell he’s not very pleased.
“Well, if you’re ready to go back, we’ll be here to support you, however you need.
I’m genuinely proud of you for taking this next step, Mila. And remember, you’ll always have a place here. This is your home too.”
Just like that, Jason has shown me once again that kind, honest, and compassionate men still exist in this world.
I offer him a grateful smile. “I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me these past several weeks. If it weren’t for you guys, I’d probably be in a much worse state. Iowe you everything. As much as I loved staying here, it’s time for me to go back, to find my independence again.”
“You don’t owe us anything, beautiful. We’d do anything for you, in a heartbeat.
Right, Jake?”
Jake smiles quietly and nods.
The conversation drifts to lighter topics next such as school, work, and Jake’s so-called new girlfriend, none other than his nemesis, Penelope. His stories are wild and outrageous, each one more dramatic than the last. When Jason, trying to sound stern, tells him he’s not allowed to date until he’s eighteen, Jake simply shrugs and informs his dad he’s not a heartbreaker. That one made me laugh so hard my stomach ached.
We’re all sitting back enjoying ourselves when the moment is abruptly interrupted by the front door swinging open and shut, followed by the sound of a very familiar voice, one I thought I’d never hear again.
“Anybody home?”
Jake’s head snaps up at the sound of the man’s words, his eyes lighting up like the New Year’s Eve fireworks. “Uncle Kaden!” he shouts excitedly, then leaps off his chair, dashing out of the room to greet the uninvited guest.
I glance over at Jason, his face a mix of shock and worry, clearly caught off guard by Kaden’s unexpected appearance.
“I didn’t know he was coming over. I swear.” He rushes out, confirming what I already suspected. “I’ll go see what he wants. Be right back.”
I nod, and moments later I hear the low murmur of voices in the hallway. As I busy myself with tidying the table, I strain to catch snippets of their conversation. I can’t make out much, but I catch Jason’s words, “Should’ve called first,” and Kaden’s reply, “I have news,” in his typical baritone.
I’m about to load the dishes into the dishwasher, when I hear footsteps approaching.
Seconds later, Jason steps into the room, an apologetic look on his face, followed by Kaden chuckling as Jake clings to his back like a baby monkey.
The moment I lock eyes with my ex-brother-in-law, my expression hardens, making no attempt to mask my contempt for him. It’s been months since I last saw him, ever since my sister walked out on him after discovering his affair. And if I’m being honest, I would’ve been perfectly fine never seeing him again.
The shocked look on Kaden’s face tells me that Jason hadn’t mentioned I was here.
He stands frozen, clearly unsure of how to react to seeing me for the first time since his betrayal was exposed.
Jake slides off Kaden’s back, and he gently tells him to go watch TV while he talks to his dad and me. Whatever he wants to say, I already know it’s nothing I want to hear.
After Jake disappears into the other room, both men slowly turn their attention back to me. It’s Kaden who speaks first.
“Hi, Mila. It’s been a while,” my ex-brother-in-law says hesitantly.
I don’t bother to respond. Instead, I remain rooted in place with my arms crossed, my gaze set into a cold, sharp stare. After a minute of no response, he reluctantly speaks again.
“If I had known Jase was having a guest over, I would’ve called first.”
