Page 56 of Off Limits Daddies
"Rory." Mia's tone is stern but her eyes are soft. "We don't hit people, no matter what they say."
"But Mom?—"
"No buts. What you did was wrong." She turns to the other twin, who's been quieter, his eyes downcast. "Corey, you too. I appreciate you defending your brother, but fighting isn't the answer."
"We're sorry," Corey whispers.
Mia sighs and pulls them both close again. "I know you are. We'll talk more at home. Go get your backpacks."
The twins scurry off, leaving Mia and me alone in the nurse's office. She sinks into a chair, her head in her hands.
"This is a nightmare," she mutters. "They've never been in trouble before. Never."
I crouch in front of her, my hands on her knees. "Hey. They were defending you. That shows they love you and have strong moral compasses. We just need to teach them better ways to handle situations like this."
"We?" She looks up, her blue eyes searching mine.
"Yeah. We." I stand and pull her to her feet. "I'm here, Mia. For all of this."
The twins return with their backpacks, eyeing me with open curiosity. Up close, the resemblance to Jack is even more striking. The shape of their faces, the way they tilt their heads when thinking, even the way Rory's fingers drum against his leg while he waits.
"Who are you?" Rory asks with the bluntness only kids can pull off.
"I'm Blake. I work with your mom at the high school."
"Are you her boyfriend?" Corey's question is quieter but equally direct.
Mia's face flushes pink. "Blake is a friend and colleague. That's all you need to know right now."
"But—"
"Truck. Now. Both of you."
The drive to Mia's apartment is tense. The twins whisper to each other in the back cab seat while Mia stares out the window, lost in thought.
Jack's eyes. Jack's mannerisms. Jack's gestures. These boys are his sons. They have to be. Mia did say she's known Jack for practically forever.
At Mia's apartment, she unlocks the door and ushers the twins inside. "Go to your room. I'll be there in a minute to discuss your punishment."
They trudge down the hallway, shoulders slumped. Mia closes the door and leans against it, exhaustion written across every line of her body.
"Thank you for coming with me," she says. She looks up at me, and for a moment, I forget about the revelation burning in my chest. All I see is this beautiful, complicated woman who's been carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders for too long.
Then Rory appears in the hallway. "Mom, can we have a snack?"
"In a minute, baby." Mia steps back from me, creating distance. "Let me talk to Mr. Morgan first."
Rory disappears back into his room. Mia gestures to the couch and we sit, the space between us feeling charged with unspoken questions.
"They're good kids," I say, breaking the silence. "A little hotheaded maybe, but good hearts."
"They are." Pride softens her features. "They're my whole world."
I study her face, looking for the right way to ask what I need to know. But there's no easy way to broach this subject.
"Mia." I keep my voice gentle. "I noticed something about the twins."
Her body tenses immediately. "What?"
