Daddy.” An angelic voice chorused, and the next moment three hands waved enthusiastically from within the box, with two jumping and calling out for attention.
“Get us out, please.” Two tiny voices chimed in unison. The box was deep, and their sound was muffled as they continued yelling.
“We are stuck! Help already!”
Xavier’s eyes widened in shock, and I, on the other hand, was equally stunned. My mouth was agape, staring at the three figures as they continued jumping and hollering for help.
“Anybody there?” They screamed at the top of her lungs, waving her small hands desperately above the box’s rim. But their hands barely cleared the edge.
Finally, I broke out of our stupor and motioned to help, but Xavier was already rushing towards the box, his eyes widened in alarm.
As Xavier approached, the children’s voices grew louder, their cries more urgent. With gentle care, Xavier lifted the children out of the box, one by one.
My brow furrowed as I processed the scene before me. The two older children looked eerily similar – brown-haired, brown-eyed; they seemed very familiar to Xavier. No, scratch that; they were his miniature versions. My eyes widened in disbelief as I continued scrutinizing their faces. Then my gaze drifted to the youngest, the four-year-old who stood out with black hair and bright blue eyes. Judging from their ages, the older ones should be around seven or nine, and the youngest, four or five.
“Xavier, are you seeing what I am seeing?” I asked, my voice laced with skepticism.
Xavier stepped back, his face filled with confusion and disbelief.
“Are these…?” I trailed off, unable to finish the question.
Xavier’s eyes locked onto mine, his expression mirroring my shock. “I don’t know,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. “I don’t understand this…” He paused momentarily, distracted by the children.
The three children, now freed from the box, lined up in a row, their eyes fixed on us as if sending an ambiguous message.
Both of us stared at the children, still reeling from the sight in front of us and the way they were packaged all the way here. The outrageousness was still etched in our memories.
Who in their right mind would do such a thing? But the resemblance…
my thoughts were interrupted by one of the older kids rolling her eyes and pointing towards the small piece of carbon paper in her hand.
“Since no one is gonna say anything, we will talk. That’s what Mom said, so listen….” She said, then glanced at her twin, who just nodded as if passing some kind of secret message to one another.
Now I’ve had enough of this freak show! I turned to Xavier. “What the hell is going on? Say something at least,” I demanded, my voice firm but laced with concern.
Xavier seemed short of words, equally confused as I was. Finally snapping back to composure, he turned to the children. “Who put you all in that box?”
Exactly the same question I had in mind.
The other twin cleared her throat. “Our Mom, and she said to tell you that we’re your children.”
What the…? My jaw dropped as I struggled to process the bombshell. Well, it was already obvious, but upon hearing it from the children, it became an irrefutable truth.
“Xavier, is this… is this for real?” I stuttered. “Did Nicole really have a child for you? Oh, slip of the tongue-CHILDREN FOR YOU!” I clipped, my eyes widening with dread.
Xavier’s eyes were wide with disbelief. He looked like he’d been punched in the gut. He massaged his temples and started darting across the room. “I didn’t know about the kids,” he stammered as he continued pacing back and forth. “Nicole never told me.”
The children just glanced at one another and held up the carbon paper, unfolding it to reveal a handwritten note.
“Mom wrote this,” the other twin explained. “She said you’d understand.”
Xavier stopped pacing and scanned the note, his face twisting as his expression shifted from disbelief to anger.
“What does it say?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. Xavier just handed me the note and slumped on the sofa.
As I skimmed through the note, a chill ran down my spine as I read it aloud.
*Xavier, I’ve kept them safe. They’re yours. The twins are Harper and Hayden; the little one is Elizabeth. You were unaware, but I’ve watched you from afar. It’s time they knew their father.*
*I can no longer bear the responsibility for them; I’m so sorry for imposing them on you like this so suddenly, but I had no choice. It’s for their sake and yours.*
*If you doubt me, then do a DNA test yourself. Check the box; there’s a document containing their birth certificate and other evidence to prove I gave birth to them.*
*I know this freaked you out…*
You think. I paused and rolled my eyes in exasperation. What kind of a woman would drop a nuclear bomb in a massive package?
*But I am sorry. I was pregnant before I left you because I was angry with you for the death of our first child; that’s why I never told you about the pregnancy…*
“Wait a second-death of our first child?” I turned to Xavier, searching for answers. “You both lost a child before?” I asked again, but he just ignored me, staring into space, definitely still processing the bombshell.
*I apologize for leaving you. I should have sorted out our differences, but losing Damon was… unbearable. Every day without him felt like an eternity. I couldn’t bear the thought of staying in our home, surrounded by memories of him. I had to escape, to find a way to heal.*
*I know it was extreme to divorce you and blame you for the death of our child, but I was hurt, and for that, I’m truly sorry. But being apart from you gave me time to reflect, to realize how much you meant to me. Losing Damon didn’t just take our child; it took a part of us. I know we can’t be together anymore; you might have moved on, so taking care of the children won’t be a problem, right?*
“Is this woman for real? Why didn’t she show her face and say this herself?” I barked in anger, glancing at Xavier, who just shrugged, his legs tapping relentlessly on the floor.
I turned back to the note and read the last piece.
*Thank you, Xavier, for understanding.*