"Wren said dad did something really, really bad to Momma."
I shot up and met their gaze, "she said he tried to kill you."
"Dad would never do that, Archer! I told you she is a liar! It's not true, right Momma?"
I covered my mouth as I suddenly was overcome with nausea. I rushed off the bed and ran to the bathroom. I was barely able to get the toilet open before I threw up and heard Chase call for me.
Chase got to me as I got sick again and sat on the floor. He began rubbing my back as I cried and shook violently. "You're too stressed, Will, to the point it's making you sick! I can talk to them."
I shook my head before taking a hand towel Emit handed to me. "I can do it. They need to hear it from me."
I slowly cleaned myself up before going back out to the twins. They jumped off the bed and hugged me tightly. I picked them up and took them to the bed to sit on the edge. They sat as I kneeled in front of them, "are you sick, Momma?"
I smiled to Archer and then Ashley, "no, I'm just nervous. This is really hard for me to talk about." I took a deep breath, "Wren told you the truth, but you need to know that he didn't do it on purpose. Really, he didn't. He just got really upset when he found out I planned to take you away from him. He was so angry, he wasn't thinking." I gulped to prevent tears, "your dad didn't want to lose you because he loves you. I don't want you to ever believe he doesn't, because he really does love you three."
"But he chose to marry someone else! If he loved us, he would've chose our family!"
I looked down as I sorted out the right words to say, "he made a bad choice. In his mind, he was doing what was best for everyone. He didn't choose her over you."
"He chose her over you, Momma," Ashley whispered and I gave her a sad smile.
"He did," I replied and she fought it, but tears finally escaped her. "That is why I can't marry your dad. I can't forgive what he did. I wanted to try to make things work with your dad, but I can't look past this." I sighed deeply, "but I was also selfish in taking you away without letting you know what was happening. I should've let you choose if you wanted to come with me." I began shaking, "if you want to be with your dad, we can find a way to make it work. We can also make it so you live with me sometimes and your dad sometimes. This is your choice and I will support you with whatever you decide. But I want you both to think about this. This is an important decision that I want you to figure out what you want."
Archer hopped off the bed and grabbed both of my hands, "I don't need to think about it for a while, Momma. I already know what I want. I want Momma, just Momma. I don't want to be with da...Jayden if he hurt Momma."
I began crying and fought not to hug him, "but I want you to take time and think about this. You may not choose that after you think about it."
Archer kissed my cheek and wiped away my tears even though he began crying. "I only want Momma. I know it."
Archer instinctively let go of my left hand right before Ashley took it, "Momma has always been with us and always chooses us. Jayden doesn't love us like Momma does. Momma loves us more than we will ever know, right? That's why we want to stay with you."
I wrapped an arm around each twin and pulled them against me. I choked up as I began crying more than before and buried my face in between them.
Even though it was breaking my heart, I wanted them to get the chance to decide. I wouldn't want them to stay with me if they didn't want to. But they chose me and could explain why. They actually had already put thought into it and already knew the three of them were my world. Even though my mind and body were in shambles, my heart was less painful.
"I love you both so much!" I whispered as they squeezed me tighter.
For the rest of the day, the kids and the boys stayed close to me in everything we did. When the twins were finally sleeping, I went to the boy's room. When I came in, as the door was partly opened, I was surprised to see there were two beds in the room. Chase looked up from the desk in the room with surprise as Emit sat up from lying on the bed. "Can I come in?"
"Yeah," Emit said and I sat on the end of the other bed. Chase turned the chair he was in around to face me as Emit turned towards me too. "Everything alright?"
I nodded with a sad smile, "I thought we should talk. I gave you a lot of information early and thought we should talk through it."
Chase sighed and leaned back in the chair, "was he really arrested?"
I nodded, "he had quite a difficult day."
"Oh?"
"Elijah went all out to destroy Jayden, even though I didn't know about it beforehand. He texted me and let me know that Jenny, the finance, left him after he told her what he did to me. Asher punched him and Jayden punched his dad."
"Asher?! He was there?!"
"Apparently Elijah brought Hunter and Asher with him to confront Jayden."
Emit paused and looked away, "you got to say your final goodbye to him?"
I gulped hard so I wouldn't shake or cry, "yeah. I reminded him that we aren't his and ended everything. I'm not giving him any more chances and am going to go after him. Not for money, but so he legally can't come near any of us anymore unless the kids choose to see him."
Chase stood and came to sit beside me on the bed. He held me tightly in a hug as he shook, "I was so scared, Will! I've been strong but now that it's over, I can't hold it in." He began crying as he let go slightly so he could look me face to face. "When we left you, I was so scared he was going to hurt you and....." he shook harder, "he almost killed you! He literally almost raped you to death!" He put his head on my chest, "and then to see you at Marie's place! I don't want to ever see you like that again!"
I kissed his head, "I promise. I won't ever put you guys or me in that situation again." I smiled as he lifted his head again, "I love you, kid."
"I love you too, Will."
I slowly got up and stretched my back, "Zara asked me to go update her and you should be going to sleep. You start your new school tomorrow."