The café felt quieter than usual that afternoon, almost suffocating. Mia sat at one of the small tables near the window, her hands wrapped around a mug of tea that had long since gone cold. Across from her, Adrian sat still, the distance between them feeling as wide as the years they'd spent apart. His posture was rigid, his eyes fixed on the two boys still drawing in the corner, oblivious to the weight of the conversation that hung in the air.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence felt thick, pressing down on Mia's chest like a weight she couldn't escape. Her mind raced, trying to piece together the fragmented thoughts and emotions swirling inside her. Adrian, Adrian was here. He was back, and he knew the truth. The truth about Leo and Liam.
Mia closed her eyes for a moment, trying to steady her nerves. She hadn't expected this hadn't expected him to show up after all this time, or to look at her with such raw emotion. But now that he was here, she had to face what had been buried for so long.
"I've been trying to figure out how to make sense of all of this," Adrian said, breaking the silence. His voice was low, almost hesitant. "I mean, three years, Mia. Three years and you never said anything."
Mia winced, the guilt gnawing at her insides. "I never wanted to hurt you, Adrian. I thought... I thought you had enough to deal with. Losing your brother everything that came after. I didn't want to add to that pain."
Adrian's jaw tightened, and for a brief moment, Mia saw the familiar flicker of frustration in his eyes. "You think I didn't want to know? That I didn't want to be there for you? For them?" His voice softened, but the emotion still lingered. "I was in a dark place, but that doesn't mean I didn't care about you. And it certainly doesn't mean I wouldn't have wanted to be a part of their lives."
Mia looked down at her hands, the shame curling inside her like a tight knot. She had made her decision three years ago, running from him, from everything they had built. But in doing so, she had cut him out of a part of his life he had every right to be a part of.
"I know I hurt you," she said quietly. "But I didn't know how to stay, Adrian. I couldn't... I couldn't watch you grieve, and I couldn't watch you move on from me. From us."
Adrian's eyes softened as he leaned forward slightly. "Mia, you didn't have to leave. I would have worked through my grief with you. We could have been a team."
Her chest tightened, and she fought the sting of tears that threatened to spill. "I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought I could raise them on my own. I was terrified of what would happen if I told you, terrified of what your family would think, how they'd react. It wasn't just you, I had no idea how I was going to face everyone else."
Adrian was quiet for a moment, his gaze never leaving hers. "I get it. I do. But it doesn't change the fact that you shut me out, Mia. You shut us both out. And I don't know how to fix that."
Mia felt the weight of his words settle deep into her heart. She had built walls around herself for so long, and now she was realizing just how high they were. Adrian wasn't asking for forgiveness. He wasn't blaming her, not really. But his pain, the years of separation, were written in every word he spoke.
"I don't expect you to just let me back in," Adrian continued, his voice steady but filled with a quiet intensity. "I know I can't undo the past. But I want to be a part of their lives. I want to be a part of yours again."
The words stung, but they also brought a strange warmth. Mia closed her eyes for a moment, trying to keep her composure. She had spent so long convincing herself that she was better off alone, that the pain of the past would never allow them to rebuild. But the truth was, her heart still ached for Adrian. Still wanted the life they could have had, the life they had been forced to abandon.
"I don't know if I can trust you again, Adrian," Mia whispered, her voice breaking. "I don't know if I can open up to you after everything that's happened."
Adrian nodded, his expression softening with understanding. "I know. And I'm not asking for that right away. I'm asking for a chance. A chance to show you that I'm not the man I was three years ago. That I can be the father they deserve, and the partner you need."
Mia's heart twisted in her chest. The thought of letting him back into her life, into her children's lives, was overwhelming. She had spent so long keeping them safe, shielding them from the pain of their fractured family. But she could see, deep down, that they deserved more than just her. They deserved a father who would love them, protect them, just as much as she did.
Before Mia could respond, a small voice interrupted their conversation.
"Mommy, can we go home now?" Leo's innocent face looked up at her, his big blue eyes wide with curiosity.
Mia smiled softly at him, but her heart ached. This was it. The moment when everything could change.
"We'll go in a little bit, sweetheart," she said, trying to keep the tremor from her voice. She glanced at Adrian, who was watching the interaction with an unreadable expression.
"I'm sorry, Adrian," Mia said, her voice low. "I never wanted to hurt you. But I don't know if I can trust you again. Not yet."
Adrian stood up slowly, his face tense but resolute. "I understand. But I'll wait, Mia. I'll wait as long as it takes. For you. For them."
Mia didn't know what to say. The road ahead of them was uncertain, fraught with the complications of the past and the unknowns of the future. But in that moment, she realized that Adrian wasn't going anywhere. And maybe, just maybe, she didn't want him to.