Ella's heart raced as she turned to see who had captured her boys' attention. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Ethan standing at the end of the hallway, staring at Leo and Liam with an expression she couldn't quite decipher.
For a moment, their eyes met, and the world around her seemed to blur. The shock, the pain, and the unresolved emotions from years ago threatened to surface, but Ella forced herself to stay composed.
"Mommy, that's the man we met earlier!" Liam said excitedly, oblivious to the tension that crackled between his mother and Ethan.
Ella forced a smile and turned her attention back to the boys. "That's nice, sweetheart. Why don't you go say goodbye to your friends? Uncle Fabian is waiting outside for us."
As the twins ran off to say their farewells, Ella
