Episode 9

Noah

Today, my little ones started kindergarten. I was more nervous and worried than they were.

Joe: Don't worry, I'll take care of Zoe, Dad.

"I know you will, Joe. You're so dependable. Just try not to get into trouble, okay?"

Joe: Yes, Dad.

Zoe: Bye, Daddy. Will you come for us?

"Of course, my princess." There may be days when I can't come, but for now, they are my top priority.

Zoe: Daddy? Is it true that Dad lives here? That question hit me out of the blue. Perhaps I'm misreading everything, but they stopped asking about that person after they turned five.

"Which Dad are you talking about, Zoe?" Joe gave his sister a look I'd rarely seen; he was angry. Had they been talking about this?

Zoe: Sorry, Joe, but I do want to meet my other daddy.

"Kids, who told you this?"

Joe: I heard you the other day talking to Grandpa. You said you didn't want to come back here because he was here. I remembered that conversation; it was over a year ago when I told Dad who had really marked me as the alpha. Foolishly, I thought the twins were asleep. Joe had heard me.

"Joe, sweetheart, what exactly did you hear? And did you tell your sister?"

"Dad and some people were mean to you, which is why you dislike him, and why you cried with Grandpa. That's also why Grandpa didn't like him."

Zoe: I want to see Dad, but I don't want to make you sad, Daddy. I promise I won't ask again... I knew this day would come eventually, but it arrived too soon.

"Let's go home, okay?"

Zoe: What about school, Daddy?

"We'll come back tomorrow, okay? You're both very bright; you'll catch up soon."

We got back in the car. I was trying to think of what to say, made more difficult by the fact that the teacher was still standing there, waiting for the twins to enter.

Zoe: Daddy, can we go there? She was pointing to an amusement park. It was a good distraction, at least for a little while.

"All right, Jorge, please stop here."

Jorge: As you wish, Sir. We spent the better part of the morning there. Joe and Zoe seemed to have completely forgotten about their father. My princess fell asleep in the car, so we were heading home.

"Aren’t you tired, Joe?"

Joe: Daddy, I don't want to meet him.

"To whom are you referring?"

Joe: My other daddy. He's bad, and I don't want him around. When I grow up, I'm going to take care of you and Zoe.

"I know you will! Joe, is this why you didn't want to be here? Because of your other dad?"

Joe: You've been sadder since we came here, Dad. It's his fault. Though he was right, I thought I had hidden my feelings well. But Joe can be so astute and perceptive, sometimes too much so, taking on responsibilities that aren't his to bear.

"Honey, you don't need to worry. That person won't come near us. I'll talk to Zoe so she understands."

Joe: Do you promise?

"Yes, I promise. It's always going to be just the three of us."

Joe: I love you, Dad.

"I love you too, my boy. Come here." Joe snuggled into my lap and fell asleep, too. Driving slowly, Jorge made the ride comfortable for them. I couldn’t stop thinking about the incident.

Zoe wants a family with two dads, I know, but Joe detests that man, which is partly my fault. Joe resembles his father the most, but it's like he senses my every emotion and makes it his own. How can I fix this? As much as I try, I can’t shake this feeling. I don't want Arvan near my children; he didn't earn that right. He left us to fend for ourselves without a care. It's his fault Zoe's health...

Jorge: Sir, we've arrived. Are you okay? damn, I'm crying again.

"Yes, I'm fine."

Jorge: May I assist by carrying one of the little princes?

"Please do. They're not as small as they used to be, especially Joe he's grown so much."

Joe: I'm awake, Dad. He's not fully alert yet, rubbing his eyes. Seems like he forced himself awake when the car stopped. Perhaps I'm overthinking, but Joe is already taking on the role of protector for Zoe and me.

"You could have slept a bit longer. Jorge would have helped carry you in."

Joe: No, I can do it on my own. Ever so determined, we got out of the car. I put Zoe in her bed.

"Mr. Noah, I thought you were at the office? Is there something wrong with the twins?" Paola, the children's nanny who'd agreed to stay home since I was taking them, was surprised to see us return.

"No, my children are fine. We just decided to postpone their first day at kindergarten."

Paola: I see... Joe, what's with the sleepy eyes? Do you need a nap?

Joe: No. Dad, are you going back to work? Despite his fatigue, at a time when he'd normally nap, he refused to relinquish his vigilance.

"Actually, I didn't feel like going to the office today, so I canceled my appointments. Come here." I sat on the couch, beckoning him to sit with me, and pulled him onto my lap.

"Want to hear a secret?"

Joe: What is it?

"When you and Zoe were very little, I used to hold you both like this to put you to sleep. Zoe always drifted off quickly, but you would almost always stay awake. I had to pretend to be asleep before you'd finally settle down."

Joe: I don't remember that. He yawned deeply and nuzzled against my chest.

"Because you were so little, but you've always been a good kid since then."

Joe: Grandpa said that I should look after you and Zoe.

"But that's when you grow up. For now, it's my job to look after you and Zoe."

Joe: But I am big now.

"You still have a lot of growing left. I want to take care of you a little longer."

Joe: Okay.

"I love you."

Joe: Me too. He slept soundly, and I began to feel tired too, so after laying Joe down, I ended up sleeping in his bed. Minutes later, I felt an additional weight on my chest Zoe had moved from her bed to sleep with us. We woke up quite late.

Paola: Looks like you had a good rest, sir.

"Yes, a lot of rest. Now the problem is that this pair have too much energy."

Paola: It'll be a bit harder to put them to sleep tonight. By the way, your phone has been ringing non-stop. I'd forgotten it on the couch. Most calls were from Valentina, so I went to call her back.

She wanted to know if I was canceling tomorrow's schedule too. While the idea of one more day away from that place was tempting, I had too many things to attend to.

The next day, after dropping my children off at kindergarten, I went to Daniel's group. The last thing I expected was for him to be the first one I bumped into.

Arvan: We need to talk. It's important. And with that, he was gone. It had been nearly two months since my arrival here, and foolishly, I hoped I'd never have to set foot in his office.

***This work has been signed with NovelToon, and piracy such as reprinting without permission is strictly prohibited.***

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***