Chapter 63


    Chapter 63 – Not Letting Go (Sky‘s POV)


    Anj jolted when my lips touched her soft lips, startling her as I kissed her. I wanted to do this since I woke


    up this morning, and when the kids called me, I just got a way to see her again. What I did not expect


    was to see Finn here with a bouquet of roses and cake.


    What is he up to now?


    “Daddy,” Lyra Helene and Selene giggled, stopping me from kissing her deeper. I kissed Lyra Helene‘s


    cheek and Selene‘s before turning my back on Anj, giving her time to breathe.


    “What do you want Daddy to cook?” I asked Selene as we waited in the hallway. “God, what has mommy


    been feeding you? You‘re heavy.”


    “Bread,” she giggled and wriggled her body, so I put her down, and she ran with her sister.” Spaghetti,


    Daddy. I want spaghetti,” she said as she squealed in delight when Leyanne ran after her.


    “Me, too! Me, too!” Leyanne jumped in front of me. I chuckled. “Okay! We‘ll have spaghetti. How about


    you, Lyra Helene?” I asked when they went out of the faculty room. She was still in her mother‘s arms


    and didn‘t want to get down. I walked toward them. “What‘s wrong? Come to daddy,” I said as if it was


    natural for me to get someone‘s child in her mother‘s arm or if I could even say it to any woman.


    She wrapped her tiny arms around my neck and buried her face on my neck. “I don‘t like him, Daddy,”


    she cried.


    “Uncle Finn?” I asked curiously. Uncle Finn! I want to dieughing right now, and I was sure Olivia would


    burst a peal ofughter. “Yeah,” she tilted her head, peeking at Finn, also gazing at her curiously. “I‘m


    scared of him.” I kissed her hair. “Don‘t worry, he‘s nice like Daddy,” I promised her, but she only nestled


    her head to my neck again. “Lyra Helene, you better get down,” I heard Anj saying as she blocked the


    two girls running around. “Please, girls, no running. You‘re making mommy dizzy.” “No,” she cried, almost


    choking me when she tightened her arms on my neck.


    “How did you manage these three alone?” I asked as I shook my head when Anj tried to get Lyra Helene


    from me. “Let her be with Daddy.” “She‘s heavy,” she said, still trying to get her from me, but she only


    cried.


    “It‘s okay, Anj. She‘s not heavy. I can still carry you, you know.” I batted my eyshes at her, smiling and


    hoping to kiss her again, but with Finn looking at us, raising his eyebrows as he studied us, I stopped


    myself from puckering my lips. She heaved a deep sigh, giving up as she caught Selene‘s hand.


    Leyanne walked in Finn‘s direction, and as we all walked toward the stairs, the three children went quiet,


    probably


    civithaivamatos


    af.indfarfarmin...


    “How did you be three?” I heard Finn say when we were already in the parking lot, and with a tone


    in his voice, he was only asking a rhetorical question, not wanting to get an answer.


    “Mom said her fertilized egg split into three, producing us,” She answered, surprising Finn and me.


    When our eyes met, weughed.


    “What are you studying? Biology?” Finn shook his head in disbelief. “Mommy?” Leyanne ran to her,


    sounding sad as if she had said something wrong as she held her hand


    Instead of getting annoyed at Finn, she smiled gently at her, opened her car door, and Leyanne went


    inside and fastened her seatbelt in the child seat. “Uncle Finn is only asking you. He‘s not making fun of


    you,” she assured her as she checked the seatbelt, but Anj knew Finn was being sarcastic.


    “Yeah, I‘m only asking. You‘re in kindergarten; I supposed you don‘t learn that in school yet,” he added,


    making me want to smack him in the head. Leyanne pouted, leaning forward to see Finn. “Uh–huh!


    Teacher Joy is teaching us shapes and colors.”


    “See?” Finn smiled at her. “That‘s my point. Little girls are not supposed to know it yet,” His smile


    disappeared when three girls turned their heads at him and then at their mother.


    Selene brushed the strands of hair on her face before getting inside. “She should at least teach us the


    vertices and angles.”


    “The what?” I asked, turning to her. I put Lyra Helene in her car seat, and while I put on her seatbelt, she


    answered me.


    “The vertices and angles,” she repeated, rolling her eyes at us as if Finn and I were dumb. “Sorry,” She


    mouthed, smiling apologetically at me. She was about to open the driver‘s seat, but I stopped her. “I‘m


    driving your car,” I said, taking the car key from her. “I asked Frank to drop me here.” I held her hand and


    led her to the passenger‘s side. I nced at Finn, getting inside his car, but before he could drive past


    us, he stopped and opened the window.


    “Your ce?” He asked, and I could only nod at him, seeing how serious he was in joining us in our


    lunch today. “See you girlster!” he waved his hand at them before going ahead of us.


    “Sky, we‘re going to their grandmother today,” she said resignedly, but I ignored her. “I told you I‘m only


    cooking lunch for the girls, and then you‘re free as a bird, Anj,” I promised as I closed the door and


    walked toward the driver‘s side.


    “Just lunch,” I promised her as I began driving and recalled how I spent time with Olivia when she was


    young, scanning my brain and thinking of the nursery rhymes she loved to sing before, but as I wasThis text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    about to open my mouth, Leyanne called her mother. “Mommy, can we skip lessons tonight?” She asked


    as she yed with the barbie doll in her hand.


    Anj nced at them at the back and nodded as she checked on them again.


    “Can I read something else?” Selene asked, talking as if she was not turning six but sixty. Anj looked


    ahead. “You may, baby. What do you want to read tonight?” When I looked at her quickly in the rearview


    mirror, she was looking at the roof of the car while her index finger pointed at her temple as she thought.


    I was about to suggest fairy tale titles when she answered. “Greek Mythology,” she answered, and when


    Anj said ‘okay,‘Selene smiled and joined Lyra Helene in reciting Humpy Dumpty. I caught Anj ncing at


    her wristwatch. “What time do you need to be there?” “At four,” Leyanne answered for her. I nodded. “We


    have plenty of time, Anj,” I smiled at her, but she puffed out air instead of answering me. “What are you


    so worried about?” She chuckled nervously as she looked at me. “It‘s what I‘m worried about,” she said


    and looked outside the window. “That plenty of time...” she uttered in a hushed tone. I reached for her


    hand and ced it on my thigh. “You know what‘s worrying me?”


    “What?” She asked as her eyes overwhelmed with worries.


    “Not wanting to let you go, Anj,” I answered, sighing deeply as I focused my eyes on the road. I must be


    crazy, but I have no ns to let her go today. Anyone can call me a bad daddy, but if I had to persuade


    her children to stay with me tonight, I will.