Chapter 12: A visit

10 Years Ago – March 14

"Kaleth, you need to tell me what is going on, right now!"

"Celine, please, can you leave me alone?"

"Why should I? Kaleth, I'm not leaving this place until you tell me why you no longer love me or care for me. Why are you breaking up with me? Don't you love me anymore?"

Kaleth didn’t say a word, his silence suffocating.

"Kaleth, will you answer me?" I said as I stepped closer to hold his hand, but he shoved me away.

"Celine, you’re the one responsible for this breakup. If only you had an abortion, this wouldn’t be happening."

His words hit like a slap across the face. My heart sank into an abyss of pain.

"So now you blame me, after we both agreed that I’d keep the baby?"

"Celine, I can never love that thing in you, and if you can't understand that, then we have to go our separate ways."

"Why the change of heart all of a sudden, Kaleth? I thought we were in this together."

"No, Celine, you’re in that alone. F**K!" He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “You know what? You are the most stuck-up liar I’ve ever known. You have everyone fooled, but not me. I know exactly who you are.”

The venom in his voice stunned me. This wasn’t the man I loved, the man I thought I knew. My Kaleth never cursed—he hated it. He only let such words slip when he was deeply worried or hiding something.

"Kaleth," I whispered, searching his face. "This isn’t you."

He kept ranting, but his words began to blur. My mind drowned in confusion and disbelief. I wanted to believe this was a nightmare I would soon wake up from. Then, in an act of desperation, I did the only thing I could think of to make him stop. I kissed him.

His body stiffened at first, then relaxed momentarily before he pulled away.

"I love you, Kaleth," I said, my voice trembling. "I always will. I won't hold you down, and I won't hate you for this. If letting you go is what you need, then I’ll do it."

His eyes softened for a brief moment, but the hardness quickly returned.

I turned towards the door, my legs heavy with the weight of the moment. “I wish you happiness in your new home and state. Be well, Kaleth. And thank you.”

As I walked out, I didn’t look back.

---

March 14 – 10 Years Later

It had been six years since Kaleth walked out of my life, and ten years and six months since my twin daughters, Kaitherine and Catherina, came into the world.

Life had not been easy, but it had been worth every struggle. Today, as the morning sun filtered through the curtains, I watched my girls sleep peacefully, their tiny chests rising and falling in unison.

"Hey, Mother of two!" Cleo’s voice rang out as she burst into the room, her energy filling the space.

Cleo, my best friend, had just graduated from law school, and her excitement was contagious. She had been my rock through thick and thin.

"So, where are my two most precious baby girls?" she asked, picking up Katherine and planting a kiss on her forehead. Katherine stirred slightly, her eyes fluttering open for a brief second before settling back into sleep.

"They’re fine," I said with a tired smile. "My parents won’t be back until 3 p.m., and both girls are a little under the weather today. I need to get to school, so I’m leaving them with you. Keep them safe, okay?"

"Don’t worry," Cleo said with a reassuring grin. "I’ve got this."

"Thanks, Cleo," I said, grabbing my bag and heading out the door.

---

At school, I barely made it to class on time. The lecturer’s eyes swept over the room, and I let out a sigh of relief when he didn’t notice my late arrival.

The day dragged on, and by the time I got home, exhaustion weighed heavily on me. It was a quarter past two when I finally parked the car and stumbled into the house.

"How are they?" I asked Cleo as I set my bag down.

"They’re fast asleep, Mama. Wanna see them?" she said, gesturing toward the bedroom.

"Yeah," I said with a soft smile. I walked into the room and kissed each of my girls on the cheek, marveling at how much they had grown.

As I turned to leave, a knock on the door startled me.

"Cleo, can you get that?" I called out, heading back to the living room.

A moment later, Cleo’s voice rang out. "Celine, it’s for you!"

"Who is it?" I asked, walking toward the door with my head down.

When I looked up, my breath caught in my throat.

"Kaleth?"

---

The sight of him after all these years felt like a punch to the gut. He looked older, his once-boyish face now more defined. His blue eyes held a shadow of something I couldn’t quite place—regret, perhaps?

For a moment, neither of us spoke. The air was thick with tension, memories flooding back in a rush.

"Hi, Celine," he said finally, his voice soft but strained.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my tone colder than I intended.

"I…" He hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. "I needed to see you."

"Why?" The single word came out sharper than I intended.

He looked down at his feet, his hands stuffed into his pockets. "I know I don’t deserve your time, but I’ve been carrying something for six years, and I can’t anymore."

My heart raced. "Kaleth, whatever it is, I don’t want to hear it."

"Please," he said, his voice breaking. "Just… hear me out."

Against my better judgment, I nodded. "Fine. You’ve got five minutes."

He took a deep breath, his eyes meeting mine. "Celine, I lied to you. That day… six years ago. I lied about everything."

I crossed my arms, trying to keep my emotions in check. "Go on."

"I didn’t leave because I didn’t love you," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I left because I was scared. I was diagnosed with a heart condition, and the doctors said I might not survive. I thought… I thought it would be easier for you to hate me than to watch me die."

His words hit me like a tidal wave. I felt like the ground had been pulled out from under me.

"You lied," I whispered, my voice trembling. "You made me believe I wasn’t enough. You made me think our baby wasn’t enough."

Tears welled up in his eyes. "I thought I was doing the right thing. I was wrong, Celine. I know I can’t undo the pain I caused, but I had to tell you the truth."

I stared at him, anger and heartbreak warring within me. "Do you know what I went through? Do you know what it’s like to raise two children alone while thinking the man you loved never cared?"

"I’m sorry," he said, his voice breaking. "I’m so sorry."

For a moment, the room was silent except for the sound of our uneven breathing.

"Kaleth," I said finally, my voice steady. "You don’t get to walk back into my life and expect forgiveness. My daughters are my world now, and I won’t let anything disrupt their happiness."

"I understand," he said, his shoulders slumping. "I just… I needed you to know."

I nodded, tears streaming down my face. "Now you know what it’s like to carry a burden alone. Goodbye, Kaleth."

As I closed the door, I took a deep breath, my heart heavy but resolute. My past no longer had power over me. My future belonged to Katherine, Catherina, and me.