Chapter 28: 3: Playground

SHAY

Saturday, February 11th

Shay’s morning was a whirlwind of nerves. She paced her living room, unsure of how to feel or what to do. Today was the day she would watch Ethan spend time with the twins.

Her anxiety was heightened by the fact that her husband wouldn’t be there to support her; he was out of town for a meeting.

After soccer practice, Shay picked up the twins, got them cleaned up, and ready. Once she left the city, she found herself behind the wheel again. When she had been a single mom, she’d had to face her fear of driving and leave her past behind.

She couldn’t afford to rely on Lyft or Uber in case of emergencies; she had to be self-reliant.

“Mom, can we have chicken tenders and rice for school on Monday?” Eli asked, doing his homework next to Liam in the living room.

“And berries!” Liam added.

Shay chuckled and nodded, agreeing to their requests.

“Sure, babies,” she said, her gaze softening as she looked at her twins. She admired them every day, never growing tired of just watching them. She often wondered what the world had in store for them, just as she had when they were babies.

Shay spent the next few hours helping the boys with their homework and breastfeeding baby Nate. By lunchtime, it felt like the day had stretched on forever, even though it was only three in the afternoon. Her mind was filled with thoughts of Ethan, a whirlwind of questions, frustrations, and anger.

~Ding Dong!~

The doorbell rang, causing Shay’s body to tense. It was time. She placed Nate in the playpen and glanced at the boys, who were engrossed in their Legos.

As she smoothed out her dress, she couldn’t understand why she felt like a giddy schoolgirl, especially since she was a married woman. Pushing those thoughts aside, she headed for the front door.

As she opened the door, she was greeted by Ethan, looking handsome in a white shirt she had bought him years ago and casual shorts. Despite the years that had passed, he had kept the shirt. She recognized it by a small stain on the collar.

She figured he had probably forgotten where it came from, and she couldn’t blame him.

“Hey, Shy,” Ethan said, his eyes on her.

Shay blushed and nodded, trying to maintain a serious expression.

“The twins are inside playing with Legos. You can join them or play outside. We have a pool, a playground, and a mini racing track for Hot Wheels,” Shay offered, giving him options.

His eyes widened slightly as he looked at her.

“I didn’t realize you had such a big place,” he said as she opened the door wider to let him in.

“Do you want a tour?” Shay blurted out before she could stop herself.

As their eyes met, she felt a familiar flutter in her heart.

“Yeah,” he agreed before she could retract her offer.

She nodded and bit her tongue as she closed the door behind him. His eyes roamed the hallway.

“Follow me,” she said.

“This is my office and also baby Nate’s room when we’re downstairs,” she explained, showing him the office. Her books were neatly arranged on the shelves, and a baby crib was set up next to her large office desk and fluffy pink carpet.

She led him through the living room and the lounge room that overlooked the pool. Her kitchen was a bit messy but still presentable. She introduced him to her nanny and housekeeper, Josephine, and showed him the rest of the house: the kitchen, the studio, the pool, the playground, the kids’ room, and finally the master bedroom.

Standing in front of her large bed with a view of the beautiful pool, he stood silently beside her. Her heart pounded in her chest, and a familiar warmth spread through her.

“Did you buy this place or was it his?” Ethan asked.

“Mine. I bought it a few years ago. The previous owner had spent three years building the house, then declared bankruptcy and couldn’t afford the payments. He sold it at a bargain price, but I had to cover some of the construction costs. It was a steal, so I bought it. It came with three acres of land,” she explained, pointing to the studio visible from her bedroom.

“That’s my studio. I added that and the gym,” Shay said.

“You have a studio and an office?” he asked, sounding impressed.

“Yeah, I need the studio for my photoshoots,” Shay confessed. She remembered her last photoshoot with Dario and her new collection. She had allowed her face to be used in the campaign, even though she hadn’t been on social media in years. It was her brand, after all.

He reached out and touched her arm. She flinched away as if burned, unable to help herself. She looked up at him, his eyes soft and familiar.

Clearing her throat, she looked away and took a step back.

“Let’s go see the twins,” she suggested quickly.

He nodded and followed her downstairs to where the boys were.

As soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs, she heard baby Nate crying. She watched as Liam picked up his little brother, trying to soothe him. Her heart warmed at the sight.

“Come, let Mama take the baby,” she said, reaching out to take Nate from her six-year-old.

“Why don’t you and Elijah take Ethan outside to the playground? Show him your Hot Wheels collection,” she suggested.

The boys’ eyes lit up at the prospect of playing outside.

“Hey, baby,” she cooed, cradling Nate in her arms. Glancing at the clock, she realized it was feeding time.

“Do you need any help?” Ethan asked as the twins ran off to get their Hot Wheels.

“Unless you have breasts that leak milk,” Shay replied sarcastically.

He scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly.

“Could you pass me that blanket and the napkin over there?” she requested, her gaze fixed on the items behind him.

Without hesitation, he reached back and handed them to her, all while Shay was cradling baby Nate.

She collected the items and led them outside, the twins darting past their two boxes of Hot Wheels. As they walked by the pool, she noted it was covered. She had it sealed off to prevent the kids from falling in and to keep the leaves from the surrounding trees out of the water.

The playground she had constructed featured a swing and a slide, and a Hot Wheels track was built right next to it. Shay had it specially designed for the twins. Despite the maintenance it required, she had no regrets. The kids adored it, and she knew they had a few good years before they outgrew the playground.

Shay settled into a lounge chair near the pool, giving them some privacy to play while she watched. Ethan strolled past her, trailing the twins before kneeling down to listen to their excited chatter about their Hot Wheels.

Adjusting her dress, Shay unclasped her bra and allowed her four-month-old to latch on. Under the sun, she was grateful for the shade provided by the trees surrounding the property.

It was one of the many things she appreciated about living in Mountain Lake.

After about fifteen minutes, Shay handed Nate over to Josephine. She needed a break, her nipples sore from breastfeeding.

Leaning back on the lounge chair, she watched them play contentedly with each other, noting their easy camaraderie.

She had spent the entire morning anxious, but now she couldn’t fathom what had made her so nervous. Ethan had hurt Shay and used her, but that had nothing to do with their twins.

They were innocent, and they didn’t care who he was, as long as they could play their games.

They were just kids, after all. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to relax.

She was on the verge of dozing off, but she fought the urge.

The sound of her twins’ laughter and the soothing sounds of nature filled the air. Shay wasn’t much of a nature person, but since moving to Mountain Lakes, she had grown to appreciate it.

Feeling someone standing over her, Shay opened her eyes to find Ethan’s gaze roaming over her. She blushed, feeling exposed despite being fully clothed, and sat up.

“Everything okay?” she asked, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the light.

“They’re really good kids,” Ethan commented, taking a seat beside her.

“Yeah, they’re sweethearts,” she agreed, sitting up straighter and watching her children.

She was incredibly proud of them. They were now by the swings, playing just the two of them.

“Where’s your husband?” he inquired. It felt strange to hear Ethan refer to Adam as her husband.

Even though it was the correct term, she never thought she’d hear him say it. Once upon a time, she had imagined Ethan as her husband.

“He’s out of town, at a meeting in a nearby town,” she replied, keeping her gaze on the kids. Despite feeling his eyes on her, she didn’t dare look at him.

She was afraid she might lose her composure, afraid of opening old wounds.

Her heartache had never fully healed. She had spent most of the time after their breakup angry with him.

“What does he do again?” Ethan asked, clearing his throat at the end.

“His family owns a chain of supermarkets,” she responded curtly. “How were they?” she asked, turning the conversation back to the kids.

“They were great. I can’t wait to spend more time with them,” he enthused.

She nodded, her mind racing with how they were going to manage this. She couldn’t keep seeing him around her house; she needed another solution.

She didn’t know how long she could keep herself together. There was too much history and emotion between them.

“What’s your plan? Are you going to move here?” she asked, turning to look at him. Her brows furrowed in frustration.

“You have a billion-dollar business in New York, in the city,” she paused, throwing her hands up in the air. “What’s your endgame here?”

“I wanted to come down. I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to sort things out and make things right. I didn’t know about them. I believed you when you said you aborted them. I mourned for them,” he confessed, his voice filled with emotion.

She could feel his sincerity as he spoke.

“I lied, not like you haven’t,” she retorted, her anger flaring.

“Shay…” he said softly, reaching out to touch her.

She flinched away, not wanting his touch. She was afraid she would fall apart.

“No.” She shook her head, trying to calm herself. “Have you figured out how you’re going to do this? Your life is in New York,” she reminded him.

“You can’t make them go back and forth. I can’t do it,” Shay said, sighing in defeat. “I’m trying to be open, but you came into my life like a hurricane, and I’m scared that you’ll take them away from me. You’ve already taken a huge part of me. I can’t let you take another,” she confessed, blinking back tears.

Only he could bring her emotions so close to the surface.

“I don’t want to take them away from you. I never want to take them away from you,” he began, his voice soft and understanding, just like she remembered. “My life was in New York, but now my life is wherever you and the boys are. My priorities have changed.”

He paused. She studied his face, his eyes. A small part of her wondered if this was another bet.

Ignoring that thought, Shay tried to suppress her emotions as she looked at him.

“I’ll get a place here,” he assured her. “I’ll figure things out, but I want to be a part of their lives,” he concluded.