The flight back was emotionally different from the flight there, but neither could be considered pleasant.


    The only thing she foundfort in was the fact that, on both journeys, her children were by her side.


    After receiving Adrian ckwood''s message, Jacob had informed Mr. and Mrs. ckwood about the children''s situation just before boarding the ne.


    Shocked and silent for some time, the ckwoods had finally said, "We''lle back right away. What time is your flight? We''ll pick you up at the airport."


    When Jacob ryed this message to Eva, she felt a twinge of embarrassment. She hadn''t seen them in a long time and wondered how she would reconnect with them after being away for five years.


    Unaware of her tumultuous thoughts, Jacob could only guess at her feelings from her expression. Seeing that she didn''t look too pleased, he cautiously offered, "Ms. Hansen, Mr. ckwood indicated that if ever you feel ufortable or have any concerns, you can let me know at any time, and we can put a hold on this entire situation."


    "Cancel it?" Eva asked, looking at Jacob with a mix of surprise and confusion.


    Jacob nodded affirmatively. "Yes."


    "But haven''t you already told them?" she countered. It was one thing to cancel before making the arrangements, but now that it was all out in the open, cancetion would bring disappointment to all parties involved. "Yes," he admitted.


    The dialogue was designed to flow naturally, mirroring the ways people in the United Statesmunicate and react in simr situations, preserving authentic speech patterns and cultural nuances, while ensuring rity and coherence for an American audience.


    Jacob nodded. "But Mr. ckwood insisted that everything should center around how Ms. Hansen feels. If this causes you any worry or difort, Ms. Hansen, we can stop at any time. The final say is entirely yours. And please don''t fret about what follows; I''ll handle everything."


    To her surprise, his words were sincere.


    With that thought, Eva''s lips curved into a gentle smile. "There''s no difort. It''s just that thest time we met was five years ago. It''s been so long, I hardly know how to face them or interact with them now."


    Jacob was taken aback by her response. Overjoyed on behalf of his employer, Adrian ckwood, he quickly reassured her, "Rest assured, Ms. Hansen, Mrs. ckwood was very concerned about you and asked after you when Ist spoke with her."


    "Really?" The memory of her abrupt departure years ago surfaced; her grandmother had passed away after she left, and she never got to say goodbye.


    She had thought she would never cross paths with that family again, yet, life hade full circle.


    Eva decided it was time to clue in her two little ones, who were still in the dark. "Ruby, Dn, after wend back home, someone wille to pick us up."


    Predictably, the kids perked up at this. "Mommy, who''sing to get us?" they asked with wide-eyed curiosity.


    "Well, to put it simply, your grandparents," Eva said carefully, choosing her words before revealing the titles to Ruby and Dn.


    "Grandma and Grandpa?"


    "Yes."


    Holding their hands gently, Eva whispered, "Haven''t you always wished for Uncle Adrian to be your daddy?"


    Ruby''s eyes sparkled at the mention. "Mommy, did you agree to let Uncle Adrian be our daddy?"


    Dn, too, was surprised. Before boarding the ne, Mommy hadn''t consented, yet something seemed to have changed mid-flight. Could something have happened that he didn''t know about? Eva nodded affirmatively. "Yes, are you happy? You''ve always wanted him to be your daddy, haven''t you?"


    "Happy," Ruby chimed, her face lit up with joy. She reached out to hug her mother, but they were both strapped into their airne seats, so she settled for holding her mother''s hand tightly instead. "Mommy, does Uncle Adrian know yet?"


    Did he know?


    The corners of Eva''s lips lifted in a tender smile as her eyes filled with warmth.


    By the time he gets back to the States, he''ll catch on, right?


    "He''ll figure it outter."


    "What about Grandma and Grandpa, Mommy? Are they Uncle Adrian''s parents?"


    "Yes, darling, they are Uncle Adrian''s folks. They''re very kind and easy to get along with. Don''t worry, they are..."


    Eva hesitated for a second before finishing, "They are your real grandparents."


    Ruby Hansen''s eyes widened in shock.


    "My real grandparents?"


    "Mhm."


    Eva gently stroked Ruby''s head and then turned to Dn Hansen. "Ruby, Dn, do you understand what Mommy is telling you? Uncle Adrian is your biological father." Dn nodded quickly, signaling he understood.


    Ruby, however, took much longer to digest the information, her eyes widening as if she had just made the connection. "But Mommy, didn''t you say before that... that Ruby and Dn''s daddy had passed away?" There was an awkward silence from Eva.


    And from Jacob, who was eavesdropping nearby.


    Well, this was awkward.


    "What''s going on?"


    Eva felt a bit ufortable. If Jacob hadn''t been there, it would have been easier; she could have exined it to the kids. But with Jacob listening in...


    Nevertheless, how could she have known five years ago that she and Adrian ckwood would get back together? That was something she could never have anticipated; she was just following her heart at the time. With that thought, Eva could only offer a slight smile, softly saying, "Well, he''s...e back to life now."


    Jacob''s lips twitched on the side.


    If he weren''t worried about offending Eva, he''d want to exim, "Ms. Hansen, could this get any more far-fetched?"


    iming the man was dead and now saying he hade back to life clearly baffled the little ones.


    Seeing their stunned faces, Eva chuckled and lightly tapped both their noses. "I was just kidding, you two! Did you actually believe that?"


    Ruby clutched her chest. "You scared me!"


    "Listen up, guys, when we get off the ne, remember to be polite and say hello, alright?"


    "We got it, Mommy," they chimed in unison, their behavior the picture of obedience. They also understood that Eva''s change of topic meant she wasn''t keen to revisit the previous conversation.


    But Eva couldn''t help recalling the past anyway when the kids were younger and didn''t understand theseplexities. As they began to mix with the neighbors and friends, inevitably, they started to grasp a bit more.


    On a day like any other, when the two children returned home, they tugged at their mother''s skirt and asked, "Mommy, Mommy, why do all the other kids have daddies, but we don''t?"


    At that moment, Eva was in a state of utter destion. She had consigned herself to a lifetime without crossing paths with Adrian ckwood ever again. Thus, when the kids posed the question, she responded bluntly, "Because he''s dead." She knew it might frighten them, but to nip their curiosity in the bud, Eva decided to cut the matter short.


    Little did she know that one day she would be eating her words.


    What was said was said, and now it was her job to smooth it over.