JAY-JAY POV
We finally reached the house, and I tried shaking Kevin gently, whispering his name, but he didn't even move.
So I slipped my arms under him and lifted him, his head dropping onto my shoulder.
"Mama, is Kuya asleep?" Kade asked, peeking up at me.
I nodded. "Be quiet," I whispered.
He nodded back immediately, tip‑toeing like we were sneaking into someone else's house.
I shifted Kevin in my arms and reached for the door, but Keifer stepped in front of me.
"I'll carry him," he said, reaching out.
"No thanks, I can manage," I replied, tightening my hold.
"Jay," he said gently, "you're still weak. If you faint or lose balance, Kevin gets hurt too."
I hated that he was right.
"Fine," I muttered, handing Kevin over.
But the second Kevin's weight left my arms and settled into Keifer's, his eyes fluttered open.
"Mama…" he whispered, voice groggy and small.
Keifer adjusted him carefully.
"Hey, buddy," he said softly. "Your mama's right here. But for now, I'm Papa."
Kevin blinked up at him, confused, tired, and still half‑asleep.
His little hand reached out blindly until it found mine, gripping my fingers even while resting against Keifer's shoulder.
Keifer looked at Kevin and smiled, a small, hopeful curve of his lips.
"Ma, I'm sleepy," Keira mumbled, clutching my hand like it was the only thing keeping her upright.
I checked the time.
"You should be. It's nine o'clock at night," I told her gently.
We stepped inside the house, the familiar warmth wrapping around us.
"Are you guys hungry?" I asked, glancing at all three of them.
They shook their heads immediately — except Kevin, who was still half-asleep on Keifer's shoulder.
A moment later, Kevin blinked awake, confused.
He stared at Keifer for a second, then quietly slid down from his arms and walked straight to me, rubbing his eyes with his fists.
I bent down and kissed his forehead.
"Had a nice nap?" I asked softly.
He nodded, still sleepy, and I couldn't help chuckling.
"Are you hungry?" I asked again, brushing his hair back.
"No," he murmured. "Tito already made us eat dinner in the hospital."
Of course Percy did.
I smiled and shook my head.
"Alright. Let's get you all ready for bed."
"Ma, we want to sleep with you and Papa today," Kade said.
"Kade…" I began, but Keira jumped in immediately.
"Please, Mama," she begged, eyes wide and dramatic.
I glanced at Keifer.
He nodded eagerly, almost too happy.
"Fine," I sighed. "We'll sleep in the guest room tonight."
I started up the stairs, but Keira tugged my hand.
"But Mama, why not your room?"
"Because it's still messy," I admitted, remembering the disaster I left behind.
They accepted that without question.
"Go to your room and change," I told them.
They nodded and ran off.
I headed toward my room to change, and Keifer followed behind me.
"There should be clothes in the guest room for you," I said without looking back.
He nodded. "Why'd you put them there for me?" he asked, teasing.
I shot him a look.
"They're not yours. Percy stays over sometimes, so his clothes are there."
With that, I stepped into my room and closed the door behind me.
I changed into something soft and comfortable, tied my hair back, and took a steadying breath
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
KEIFER POV
I don't remember the last time I felt this… full.
Jay actually let me stay with the kids tonight.
It shouldn't mean this much, but it does.
And yet, even with all of us under one roof, the distance between me and her feels wider than ever.
The closer I try to get, the further she pulls away.
I can't blame her — I earned that distance — but it still hurts.
"Papa!" Kade burst into the guest room, eyes bright.
"Yes, bud?" I said, smiling before I could stop myself.
I still can't wrap my head around it.
Three kids.
Three little lives I missed.
Jay must have gone through hell raising them while running the company.
She shouldn't have had to do any of it without me.
And now that I'm finally here…
I don't know if she'll ever let me close again.
"Papa," Keira called softly.
"Yes, my princess," I replied, smiling at her.
She has my mother's eyes.
For a second, it felt like my mom had found her way back into my life through this little girl.
"Let's sleep!" both kids shouted, bouncing onto the bed like it was a trampoline.
"Alright, but where's your Mama and your Kuya?" I asked, looking around.
"Mama's changing and Kuya's in the room," Kade answered.
"I'll go get your Kuya," I told them.
They nodded eagerly, already settling under the blankets.
But the truth hit me again — sharp, familiar.
Kevin still keeps his distance.
He doesn't run to me like Keira and Kade do.
He watches me, studies me, stays close to Jay instead.
And I can't even blame him.
He's acting exactly the way I used to.
Quiet. Guarded. Careful with his heart.
A mirror of the man I was…
…and the man I'm trying not to be anymore.
I walked down the hallway and stopped in front of Kevin's door.
I pushed it open gently.
He was standing in the middle of the room, small shoulders tense, struggling to pull his pajama shirt over his head.
One arm was stuck, the fabric twisted, and he kept tugging at it in frustration.
For a second, he didn't even notice me.
He just kept fighting with the shirt like he refused to ask for help.
Just like I used to.
My chest tightened.
"Hey, bud," I said softly, stepping inside. "Need a hand?"
He froze, the shirt still halfway on, only his messy hair sticking out.
He nodded
I stepped closer and gently helped him pull the pajama shirt over his head.
His small hands dropped to his sides, and I took a breath.
"Why don't you come to me?" I asked quietly.
Kevin looked up for a second, then lowered his head again.
"Are you really my Papa?" he whispered.
The question hit harder than anything.
I nodded slowly.
"Then where were you for four years?" he asked.
I froze.
My mouth opened, but nothing came out.
He kept going, voice trembling but steady.
"You know how tired Mama looked when she came home from work?"
He swallowed.
"Every time I saw her, I wanted to help… but I couldn't."
My chest tightened.
He was only four, but he spoke like someone who had carried too much for too long.
His eyes filled with tears.
"And Mama cries at night," he said, voice cracking. "Every day. She says things… and I don't know how to make her stop."
That broke me.
I pulled him into my arms, holding him tight as he finally let the tears fall.
"You'll leave us again," he sobbed into my shoulder. "You'll leave and hurt Mama."
I kissed his forehead, my voice barely steady.
"I won't," I whispered. "I promise you, I won't leave you again."
He clung to me like he wanted to believe it…
but wasn't sure he could.
And that was my fault.
"No, you will," he said, pushing me back with his small hands.
I didn't move.
Not because he was strong — but because his words hit harder than anything ever could.
I froze, completely speechless.
Kevin's face crumpled, anger and hurt twisting together in a way no four‑year‑old should ever have to feel.
And God…
it was the same expression I used to wear whenever I looked at my own father.
That tight jaw.
That trembling lip.
That mix of fear, disappointment, and anger he didn't know how to name yet.
Seeing it on my son felt like someone punched straight through my chest.
I never wanted my kids to hate me… but here we are.
"You'll hurt Mama, and she'll be sad," Kevin cried, voice shaking with a pain no child should carry.
Before I could even try to answer, Jay's voice came from the doorway.
"Kevin, hon."
I turned toward her.
She stood there with that calm, steady look she always uses when the kids are hurting — the same look she never gives me anymore.
"I'll take care of him," she said softly.
I nodded, because I didn't trust myself to speak.
Anything I said would only make Kevin cry harder.
So I stepped past her, the weight of his words still sitting heavy in my chest, and walked back to the guest room.
Every step felt like proof of the damage I caused.
And the worst part was…
he wasn't wrong to be afraid.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
JAY-JAY POV
I finished changing and headed toward the guest room, but halfway there I heard crying coming from Kevin's room.
My heart dropped.
I turned around immediately and walked toward the sound.
When I reached the doorway, I saw Kevin standing in front of Keifer, tears streaming down his face.
"Papa will hurt Mama," he cried, voice shaking.
Keifer just stood there, frozen, looking like someone had ripped the ground out from under him.
His shoulders were tense, his eyes dim, guilt written all over his face.
And for some reason…
I hated seeing him like that.
I didn't want him sad.
I didn't want him hurting.
I didn't know why I felt that way — after everything — but the feeling was there, sharp and real.
Kevin stared at Keifer with those angry, heartbroken eyes that no child should ever have.
It made something inside me twist.
I stepped fully into the room and placed a gentle hand on Keifer's arm.
"It's okay," I said softly. "You can go."
He didn't argue.
He just nodded, eyes dim, and walked out quietly — like he didn't want to make the air any heavier than it already was.
I closed the door behind him and turned back to Kevin.
His little body was shaking, his face blotchy from crying.
I didn't say anything.
I just walked over and wrapped my arms around him, pulling him close.
He melted into me instantly, burying his face in my shoulder like he'd been holding everything in for too long.
And in that moment, all I cared about was making him feel safe again.
"Sorry, Mama," Kevin whispered.
"Why are you saying sorry?" I asked softly.
He looked up at me, eyes red and swollen, but he didn't answer.
I cupped his cheeks and wiped the tears from them with my thumbs.
"Don't apologize when you didn't do anything wrong," I murmured.
He nodded, still sniffling.
"Kevin… can you do something for me?" I asked gently.
He nodded again, this time slower, like he was bracing himself.
"Don't talk to your Papa like that," I said, brushing his hair back. "I know you're hurt. I know you're scared. But… he hated his dad when he was a kid. And seeing you look at him like that… it makes him think you hate him too."
Kevin's lip trembled, and he looked down at his hands.
I pulled him closer, letting him lean into me.
"He's trying," I whispered. "And I know you're trying too."
"And it's my fault," I added quietly.
Kevin looked up at me, confused, little brows furrowing.
"He didn't know you three existed until he saw Keira at the amusement park," I explained softly.
His expression shifted — the anger melting into guilt, his shoulders dropping a little.
"So, hon… please don't be angry at him like that," I said gently, brushing his hair back. "He didn't leave because he didn't want you. He didn't even know you were here."
Kevin's lip trembled again, but this time it wasn't from anger — it was from understanding, from the weight of everything he'd been carrying.
He leaned into me, small hands gripping my shirt.
And I held him tighter, because he needed it.
Because he was just a little boy trying to protect me the only way he knew how.
I kissed his forehead
"Ready?" I asked.
Kevin nodded, so we walked together to the guest room.
The moment I opened the door, he let go of my hand and went straight to Keifer, wrapping his arms around him.
Keifer froze — completely still — like he couldn't believe what was happening.
Then slowly, almost cautiously, he hugged Kevin back.
A second later, Keira and Kade jumped in too, wrapping their little arms around him from both sides.
I couldn't help smiling at the sight.
"Sorry, Papa… for being angry at you," Kevin whispered.
Keifer's face softened in a way I hadn't seen in years.
"I'm sorry too," he said, looking at all three of them. "For not being there."
Then he lifted his eyes to me.
I kept my expression neutral — no smile, no reaction — just a straight face.
Because even if the kids were ready to forgive him…
I wasn't there yet.
I lay down on the bed first, letting the exhaustion of the day finally settle into my bones.
Kevin climbed up immediately and curled into my side, his small hand gripping my shirt like he was afraid I'd disappear if he let go.
On the other side of the bed, Keira had already claimed her spot — stretched out comfortably on Keifer's chest, her tiny fingers tangled in his shirt.
Kade settled on Keifer's other side, half‑asleep already, his head resting on Keifer's arm.
The room went quiet.
Just soft breathing.
Warmth.
The weight of three little bodies finally feeling safe.
And somewhere in the middle of it all…
Keifer looked at peace for the first time in years.
I didn't say anything.
I just watched them — the kids draped over him like he'd always been there.
A part of me softened at the sight.
Another part stayed guarded.
But for tonight…
this was enough.
I didn't even realize when sleep finally pulled me under.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
KEIFER POV
Keira was curled up on my chest, her tiny breaths warm against my shirt.
Kade had somehow managed to drape his legs over my waist like I was his personal pillow.
I couldn't help smiling.
I leaned down and kissed both their foreheads gently, careful not to wake them.
Moments like this… I never thought I'd get them. Not in this lifetime.
When I lifted my head again, my eyes drifted to Jay.
She was asleep on the other side of the bed, Kevin tucked safely against her.
Her face was relaxed, peaceful — the kind of peace she never had when she was awake around me.
And for a second, I just watched her.
The kids on me.
Kevin holding onto her.
Jay breathing softly in the dim light.
I looked at Jay carefully, taking in the little details I'd missed for years.
There was a small tattoo behind her earlobe — three tiny stars.
Cute.
Simple.
And I knew instantly what they stood for.
Our kids.
I smiled a little at that.
She'd carried them with her in every way possible.
Her hair caught my eye next.
A deep, dark ginger now — warm, rich, nothing like the soft brown she had back in high school.
She must've dyed it.
And somehow… it suited her.
Older, sharper, stronger.
A version of her I never got to grow with.
I watched her breathe softly in her sleep, Kevin tucked against her, and for a moment, I let myself wonder how many changes I missed…
and how many I still didn't know.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
💙🔥 AUTHOR'S NOTE 🔥💙
HELLO EVERYONE!! 🤭💙✨
This is the last chapter for today 😭🔥
For tomorrow's chapter, please write some suggestions because I'm running low on ideas 😭🧠💀
Your comments help me SO MUCH, fr 😌💙✨
Alsooo — please comment on when you want Jay to forgive Keifer…
AND how you want it to happen 👀🔥
Like what should Keifer do?
What moment should finally break Jay's walls?
Tell me EVERYTHING 🤭💬💙
Thank youuuuu 💙✨🔥🌟