Odyssey of a single mum

CHAPTER 3

Lisa's heart hammered against her ribs. Matthew, the man who had haunted her dreams for years, stood before her, holding her children. The shock was so profound that her initial anger at him for forgetting their birthday faded into the background. The only thing that mattered was the fact that Matthew was back in her life, and he was holding her children.

"Matthew," she whispered, her voice barely audible. The years had changed him, his features were sharper, his jawline more defined, and the faint lines around his eyes spoke of a life lived intensely. But his eyes, those piercing blue eyes, were the same, the same eyes that had once held a promise of forever.

He stood there, expression unreadable, looking at her with a mixture of surprise and something else she couldn't quite decipher. His gaze lingered on her, then shifted to the children in her arms, their faces streaked with tears.

"Are you alright?" Matthew finally asked, his voice devoid of any emotion.

Lisa felt a lump forming in her throat. "We... we were just having a little birthday celebration," she stammered, her voice cracking.

"Birthday?" Matthew raised an eyebrow, his gaze lingering on Zoey and Zach who were now clinging to her, their faces still wet with tears. "It's their birthday?"

Lisa nodded, unable to speak.

"I... I didn't know," Matthew muttered, his voice laced with a hint of remorse.

Lisa felt a surge of anger, but she pushed it down, her mind preoccupied with the image of Matthew holding her children, his touch gentle and caring.

"They were... they were worried that I had forgotten," she explained, her voice trembling.

Matthew looked at her, his expression softening slightly. He reached out and gently touched Zach's head, causing the boy to look up at him with wide, curious eyes.

"It's okay, little one," Matthew said softly, a rare smile gracing his lips. "I'm here now."

Zoey, ever the observant one, piped up, "Uncle Matthew?"

Matthew’s eyes widened. He glanced at Lisa, his expression unreadable. "You know me?"

The children, both equally confused, nodded, their gazes flitting between their mother and the man they now knew as their uncle.

Lisa, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over her, simply nodded. “Yes, Matthew is your uncle. We used to be… together."