"Dad." Mia's voice is barely above a whisper. "I didn't know you'd invited Jack."
"Didn't know you'd be bringing company either," Robert says, but there's no accusation in his tone. Just warmth as he looks at the twins. "Come here, boys. Let your old grandpa get a proper look at you."
The twins exchange glances, then the slightly taller one steps forward with more confidence. "I'm Rory. This is Corey."
"Rory and Corey." Robert's smile is genuine, transforming his face. "Your grandmother told me about you this morning. I've been waiting all day to meet you properly."
This morning. Linda told him this morning. So he's only known about his grandsons for a few hours.
I watch as both boys approach Robert's recliner with the cautious curiosity of children meeting someone important. Rory, the bolder twin, extends his hand for a handshake. The gesture is so formal, so adult, that Robert laughs.
"A handshake? Come here." He pulls Rory into a gentle hug, then reaches for Corey, who goes more reluctantly. "I can't believe I have grandsons. Nine years old, your grandmother said?"
"Yes, sir," Rory answers. His voice carries confidence that reminds me painfully of myself at that age.
"And you've been living where?"
"Different places," Corey says quietly. "But now we're here in Riverside with Mom."
Robert's eyes find Mia's, and I see the question there. The hurt. But also something softer. Forgiveness, maybe. Or at least the beginning of it.
Before anyone can say more, footsteps sound from the kitchen and another man enters carrying a casserole dish. He's tall, well-built, with dark hair and an easy smile that sets my teeth on edge immediately.
"Sorry, I was just helping with the food." He sets the dish on the dining table, then moves to stand beside Mia with a familiaritythat makes my hands clench. "You must be Jack Lewis. I've heard a lot about you."
I seriously doubt that.
"This is Marcus," Linda says quickly. "Mia's ... well, they used to date. I thought it would be nice for him to join us for dinner since he's in town."
Marcus extends his hand and I shake it, noting his firm grip and the way he positions himself slightly in front of Mia. Possessive. Territorial.
"Marcus Rosemond," he says. "I helped raise these boys for a few years. They're like sons to me."
The words land like grenades in my chest. He helped raise them. My sons. If they are mine. And looking at those hazel eyes with gold flecks, I'm becoming more certain by the second.
"I didn't know we were having a party," Robert says, looking between Linda and Mia with confusion. "I invited Jack to discuss school business."
"And I invited Marcus because I thought Mia might appreciate the support," Linda says, wringing her hands. "I should have coordinated better."
The dinner table arrangement feels like a cruel cosmic joke. I end up sitting directly across from Mia while Marcus claims the seat beside her, his arm draped casually across the back of her chair. The twins sit between their mother and grandmother, their eyes darting between all the adults with obvious confusion.
Mia looks like she wants to disappear into the floor. Her face is pale, her knuckles white where she grips her fork. She's barely touched the food on her plate.
I can't stop staring at the boys.
Rory drums his fingers against the table while listening to Robert talk about his years as fire chief. It's the exact same gesture I make when I'm thinking, when I'm processing information. My secretary has commented on it a hundred times.
Corey has a thoughtful furrow between his eyebrows as he considers his grandfather's questions. The same expression I see on my own face when I'm working through a complex problem.
The way they tilt their heads. The shape of their jawlines. The way Rory's mouth quirks up on one side when he's amused.
Every gesture, every expression, every small mannerism screams my DNA.
"So, boys," Robert says, his voice warm with grandfatherly affection. "Tell me about school. What are your favorite subjects?"
"I like reading," Corey says quietly. "Especially history books."
"And I like science," Rory adds. "We're learning about space right now. Did you know that Jupiter has at least seventy-nine moons?"
