Chapter Six:Late Night Thoughts and Early Morning Surprises
1473 Words
Anna lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling while the soft breathing of her twin boys filled the room. Her heart still raced from the unexpected encounter with Liam. His voice, his face—it was all too familiar. Too vivid to be a coincidence.
She had spent the last five years replaying that night in her head, trying to forget it, trying to move on. But now, that same man stood in her bakery, smiling down at her sons.
Her sons.
Anna turned her head to look at Micah and Malachi, snuggled together in their shared bed. They looked so peaceful. So innocent. Could he really be their father?
She bit her lip. She had told herself she didn’t need to know who the father was—that it didn’t matter. But tonight changed everything. Liam’s eyes, his jawline, even the way he carried himself—her boys had inherited so much of him. She couldn't ignore it anymore.
But if he didn’t remember that night... did she even have the right to tell him?
The next morning, Anna was already in the kitchen before sunrise, kneading dough and preparing muffins. Baking helped her clear her mind. She needed it today more than ever.
The bell above the front door jingled earlier than usual, and her heart jumped. She wiped her hands on her apron and peeked into the front.
It was him.
Liam stood there, holding two small takeaway cups. One of them was clearly hot chocolate, judging by the whipped cream peeking out.
"For the boys," he said with a soft smile. "And coffee... for you. I hope you take it with cream."
Anna hesitated, then stepped forward. "You're back early."
Liam shrugged. "Couldn’t stop thinking about yesterday. About you. About them." He nodded toward the kitchen. “You didn’t say much yesterday. You okay?”
Anna crossed her arms, suddenly defensive. “You showed up out of nowhere. What were you expecting?”
Liam lowered his voice. “I just... I feel like I’ve seen those kids before. Not just here. Somewhere deeper. It’s strange, but they felt... familiar.”
Anna’s stomach twisted. She looked away. “They should.”
His brows furrowed. “What does that mean?”
Anna didn’t answer right away. She was trembling inside, caught between telling the truth and protecting herself from the pain of his possible rejection.
“You don’t remember me, do you?” she finally asked.
Liam’s expression shifted. His eyes narrowed, searching hers. “Should I?”
Silence.
Anna gave a broken laugh. “No. I didn’t think you would.”
Then she turned and walked away, leaving Liam standing in the middle of the bakery with two untouched cups and a thousand questions.
Liam stood frozen in place, her words echoing in his head: “You don’t remember me, do you?”
Something about her tone—it wasn’t just disappointment. It was deeper. Wounded.
He set the cups down carefully on the counter and slowly followed her toward the kitchen. “Anna… wait.”
She didn’t turn. Her hands were already back in the dough, fingers moving with automatic precision, though he could see the tension in her shoulders.
“Please,” he said softly, stepping closer. “I need you to help me understand. That night… it’s all foggy. I had a lot to drink, and honestly, there’s this blank space in my memory. But when I saw you… and those boys… it stirred something. Like I’d been here before.”
Anna let out a shaky breath, finally looking up at him. “You were drunk. I wasn’t supposed to be there. I only went to the party because my friend dragged me. You looked… lost. I guess I was, too.”
Liam’s brow furrowed. His mind chased memories, trying to piece together fragments. A rooftop. Laughter. A girl with soft brown eyes. “The hotel?” he murmured.
Anna blinked. “You remember?”
“Flashes,” he admitted. “You… you wore a red dress.”
Anna nodded, stunned. “Yes.”
He stared at her for a long moment. “That was you.”
Anna’s eyes welled with tears. “Yes, Liam. That was me.”
He stepped back, the realization slamming into him like a wave. “And the twins…?”
She hesitated. “They’re yours.”
Liam felt like the ground had shifted beneath him. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know who you were. You never gave me your real name. You disappeared. I searched, but there was nothing. Then I found out I was pregnant. What was I supposed to do?”
He opened his mouth, then closed it, raking a hand through his hair. “I had no idea…”
“I know,” Anna whispered. “That’s why I never came looking again.”
Liam turned away, pacing in a tight circle, grappling with the truth. When he looked back at her, his expression had changed. Not angry. Not confused. Just… stunned.
“Can I… can I get to know them?” he asked, voice low. “Be part of their lives?”
Anna studied him. “It’s not just about you anymore, Liam. They’re my entire world. And I don’t know what you want from us.”
“I don’t know either,” he admitted honestly. “But I want to try.”
Anna looked down at the dough, her heart aching and hopeful at once. “Then try. But not just for today. For every day.”
The air was thick with emotion, raw and fragile. Liam reached out, tentatively, his fingers brushing Anna’s arm. “Tell me about them… the twins.”
Anna’s hands paused in the dough, then she slowly wiped them on a towel. “Their names are Noah and Nathan. They just turned four last month. Noah is the loud one, always asking questions. Nathan… he’s quieter, more observant. But they’re inseparable.”
Liam’s lips parted in a stunned half-smile. “Four.”
She nodded. “Yes. Four. Born exactly eight months after that night.”
Liam exhaled deeply, running his hand through his hair again. “God, I’ve missed so much. Their first steps… first words…”
“You did,” Anna said gently, though there was a trace of pain in her voice. “But that wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know. I didn’t even know who you were, Liam. You told me your name was Leo that night.”
A wry chuckle escaped Liam’s throat. “Leo. Right. My middle name. I used it to keep people from recognizing me at parties. I just… wanted to be normal for once.”
Anna gave him a small smile, one that faded quickly. “Well, Leo gave me the greatest gift of my life.”
Liam stepped closer. “And I want to make it right. For you. For them. Anna… I don’t want to just walk away from this. From you.”
She looked up sharply. “From me?”
“Yes.” His eyes met hers with fierce intensity. “I feel something—something real. Even before I knew who you were. The way you looked at me… the way the boys ran to me without hesitation. Maybe it’s fate. Or maybe it’s just guilt. But I can’t pretend this didn’t happen.”
Anna’s heart pounded. A thousand memories of holding the boys when they were sick, of rocking them to sleep, alone, of wishing someone would take the weight with her—rushed through her.
“I can’t promise anything, Liam,” she whispered. “I’ve built a world to protect them. I won’t let anything hurt them.”
“I understand,” he said. “But let me try to be part of it. Whatever you need from me—anything.”
A long silence passed between them before Anna finally nodded. “Okay. But no disappearing this time. No fake names. No pretending.”
He placed a hand over his heart. “No more pretending. I’m Liam Carter. And I want to know my sons.”
At that moment, two tiny voices echoed from the hallway.
“Mummy! Where are you?”
Anna wiped her eyes quickly. “We’re in the kitchen, babies!”
Two pairs of feet ran in, and the twins burst into the room, their identical faces lighting up when they saw Liam.
“Hi again!” Noah grinned.
“Are you staying for dinner?” Nathan asked shyly.
Liam crouched down, smiling. “Only if your mum says yes.”
Anna looked at them—her beautiful boys, her complicated heart—and then at Liam.
She gave a small nod.
“Yes, he can stay.”
And just like that, something began to heal.
- Writer
