Strange Feeling

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I glanced over at the two kids, now fast asleep on the sofa. They hadn't even made it to their beds—probably too tired from all the excitement earlier.

Then my eyes shifted to Alpheus, who was awkwardly trying to fit himself onto the small couch.

He looked ridiculous—but somehow endearing—squeezed into that tiny space, holding a cute little cup of coffee that Egypt had proudly prepared for him earlier.

I couldn't help but grimace when I saw him actually take a sip from it. That coffee had gone cold a long time ago.

"It's cold, isn't it?" I said, my face contorting.

"If you really want coffee before you leave, I can make you a fresh one. You don't have to force yourself to drink that."

"N-no, it's fine," he said quickly, shaking his head. "Egypt made this for me… so I'll finish it. It'd be a waste otherwise."

He took another gulp without hesitation.

"Wow. You're really worried about wasting coffee, huh?" I said with a touch of sarcasm, raising an eyebrow.

He looked at me with a small smile.

"What I mean is—I'd hate to waste her effort. Egypt made this for me, and she even invited me here. That means something to me."

"Then you can leave now."

"Huh?" he asked, clearly caught off guard.

"I said you can go. You've finished your coffee, and I don't think you have any other reason to stay in our house. It's getting late, and I'd like to rest already."

Without giving him time to react, I turned and walked to the door, pulling it open—a clear sign that he was no longer welcome to stay.

"W-wait! Uh... can I talk to you? Just for a minute?" he asked quickly, almost sounding desperate.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "No. It's late, and I'm not in the mood to talk anymore."

"Just... three minutes?" he pleaded.

"Still no."

"Okay, then just one minute! I mean, could you at least answer one question? I just need confirmation—straight from you. Even though I already have enough proof from what I found out tonight."

That made me arch my brow even higher.

"No. Go home."

"But I want to hear the truth directly from you! Because if I don't, I'll probably end up overthinking it all night and won't be able to sleep. Please?" Alpheus insisted.

"Then don't sleep." I snapped back.

"W-what?...I m-mean... just this once? I swear, I won't tell anyone—not even Rome," he said, sounding desperate now.

That made me whip my head toward him, irritation clearly written all over my face.

"Sir," I began coldly, "with all due respect, I'd appreciate it if you never mention that name in front of my children again. I let it slide earlier because they were around, but next time, please remember—this is my house, and I don't want that name being spoken here."

"I—I'm s-sorry…" he stammered, looking genuinely taken aback.

"But with what you just said... I think I've already gotten the confirmation I was looking for."

Then his voice dropped to a whisper, careful not to disturb the two children.

"I just… wanted to ask if you've ever thought of telling them the truth. About their father. Even just once?" he asked, almost pleading.

I glanced at the kids just as Egypt shifted slightly in her sleep, and without hesitation, I motioned for him to step outside with me.

As soon as Alpheus stepped outside, I shut the door behind him and turned to face him directly.

"About what you said earlier…"

"My answer is no—and that's never going to change. I have no intention of ever telling their father about them. And the kids? They don't need to know either. Not now. Maybe not ever."

I paused, locking eyes with him.

"So please… as the first person to ever find out the truth, I'm asking you—no, I'm begging you—not to say anything. Don't tell your friend what you learned tonight."

A lump had formed in my throat, but I swallowed it down. I took a slow, deep breath, gathering the strength to continue.

"As their mother—who raised them on my own without ever asking for a single ounce of help from their father—I hope you can at least respect that. Respect me."

I let the silence hang between us for a moment, hoping it would say what my words couldn't.

"You probably don't know the kind of history I have with your friend. And maybe that's for the best. But if there's one thing I will tell you—it's that it wasn't a good one. What he did to me…" I stopped, clenching my jaw.

"It hurt. Deeply. In ways I'm still trying to recover from."

I looked at Alpheus again, no longer trying to mask the vulnerability in my eyes.

"So please, Alpheus," I whispered, "I'm asking you… let this truth end with you. Don't let it reach anyone else. Especially not him."

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Alpheus POV....

Alpheus couldn't focus on his driving as he made his way back to the bar where he and his friends had gathered earlier that night.

Sylvia's words kept replaying in his head.

His grip on the steering wheel tightened unconsciously, his knuckles paling from the pressure. 

No matter how hard he tried to shake it off, he couldn't ignore the weight of everything he had just discovered.

The painful truth was that Sylvia and his friend Rome had a past—a relationship. But what struck even harder was the secret she'd been carrying all this time, they had children. Not just one, but two. And Rome didn't have the slightest idea.

How could the woman he always saw at his favorite local restaurant—Sylvia, the one who'd caught his attention without even trying—have a connection with Rome, of all people? His best friend. Of all the women in the world, why did it have to be her?

The very same woman he was slowly starting to like from afar.

It was strange, really. 

What started as a simple infatuation with Sylvia—a hardworking waitress both in the morning and at night—had quietly begun to grow into something deeper.

He had even planned to confess his feelings tonight. But all of that came crashing down because of her past with Rome.

From the moment Alpheus first laid eyes on the kids, something had already felt oddly familiar.

He couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen those features before. And sure enough, Rome's face was unmistakably mirrored in those two innocent children.

At first, he had brushed off the thought, chalking it up to coincidence.

Maybe they just happened to look like his friend. That's what he told himself. But when he heard their names… everything suddenly clicked into place.

That was the moment he knew—without a doubt—that his suspicions were right.

And now, the truth sat heavy on his chest, a burden he never asked to carry. 

As he drove in silence, he found himself torn—unsure whether to tell Rome or keep it a secret.