“What?” I look at her, “Both?”
“Yeah, both. From… oh.” She pauses, her eyes widen, and I see a slight fear grow in them but it’s also almost a relief, as if the last thing I spoke put all the pieces together in her head.
“What?”
“I, uh,” she pauses, inhaling deeply before she looks back at me. “I don’t know how to say it… so,” she trails before she stands up. I follow suit and she pauses for a second. “Promise me you won’t freak out. I mean, you can freak out. All I ask is please… wait.” She matches my confused expression as she looks back at me. “Trust me. It will make complete sense.” I just nod my head. “I’ll respect your decision, but I just figure that you should see before it’s just kind of sprung up on you.”
She moves through the kitchen and motions for me to follow as she opens the backdoor. I’ve been in Ash’s backyard more times than I can count. In fact, the side of the fence opens up so that we can have a large open area, but today it was definitely closed. I can hear Ash talking to someone as we walk out and I assume the boys must be home, but when the laughter starts, there’s only one other voice that responds. As I clear the doorframe and look over Ella, I see Ash playing with a small boy who appears to be around the same age as the twins. The small boy looks over and his dark brown eyes widen before he comes running over to us.
“Mommy.” He shouts and instantly my eyes widen. “Look what Uncle Ash taught me.” I can’t hear the rest of what’s happening because I’m just staring off in utter disbelief at the small boy calling Ella mom.
If he’s around the same age as the boys and this is what she wasn’t sure how to tell me.
Then…
Fuck me….
“Ash,” Ella scolds him, causing him to laugh harder, still sitting in the grass in the middle of the yard.
“What? You know how much trouble I would be in if I taught my boys that?” She just shakes her head at him.
“Mommy, can you come play with us?” He asks Ella as he eyes me suspiciously.
“Soon. I need to talk to Axe here for a few more minutes, okay?” He nods his head, but he is no longer looking at her, instead he’s staring at me as if he’s warning me not to mess with his mom.
Apple… tree. I guess.
Once we’re back inside, she sits back down and I follow, but I can’t even say anything to her. I just continue to stare off. “Axe?” She whispers to me.
“He’s mine.” I don’t ask her because it’s not a question. I’m more or less stating a fact and making sure I’m not reading too much into it.
“Yes.” she whispers and I just look up to her.
I don’t even know what to say as I just sit staring off for a while as Ella just continues to sit on the other side of the table, patiently waiting for me to come back to the conversation.
