~Katherine's POV
I shook my head firmly without even needing time to consider it.
"I do not want him anywhere near them," I said quietly but firmly.
Mathew watched my face for a few seconds before speaking again. His expression looked calm, but I could tell he was choosing his words very carefully.
"Katherine, raising two children alone is not easy," he said.
"I am not alone," I replied quickly.
He sighed softly and shook his head.
"You know what I mean," he said quietly.
Then he squeezed my hand gently, almost like he was trying to remind me that he was not my enemy in this conversation.
"I know how much their tuition costs," he continued. "And that is only the school fees. There are their clothes, their food, their activities, and everything else because you want the best life for them."
I did not reply because there was nothing I could say to argue with that.
Because he was right.
The twins' education alone cost more than most people would imagine. The schools they attended were expensive, but I had chosen them because I wanted them to have opportunities that I never had when I was growing up.
I wanted them to learn more.
To see more.
To become anything they wanted in the future.
Mathew's voice became softer as he continued speaking.
"And if Aaron is truly their father, then maybe he should carry some of that responsibility too."
His words were calm, but they still stirred something uncomfortable inside my chest.
I slowly turned my head and looked at the twins again.
The waiter had just placed a large pizza on the table in front of them, and Hanith was already laughing with excitement as he reached for the biggest slice he could find. Jasmine clapped her hands happily and leaned forward as if the pizza was the most wonderful thing she had ever seen.
I stared at the pizza for a moment, watching Jasmine struggle to lift a slice that was almost bigger than her hand. Hanith laughed at her and quickly helped hold the plate steady, and their small laughter filled the space between us. Anyone looking at our table would think everything was simple and happy.
But inside me, nothing felt simple.
I slowly looked back at Mathew.
"To be honest… I don't even know what to do anymore," I said quietly.
My voice sounded tired, and I hated that he could probably hear it.
Mathew did not interrupt me. He simply sat there and waited patiently, which was something he had always been good at. He never rushed me when I needed time to speak, and sometimes that made it easier for me to say things I usually tried to keep hidden.
I folded my hands together on the table and stared at them for a few seconds before continuing.
"Aaron hurt me so much," I said, and the words felt heavy as they left my mouth.
The memories came back again whether I wanted them to or not. The promises he made, the soft way he used to speak to me, and the way he used to look at me.
"I believed him," I continued softly. "When he said he loved me, and when he said we would build a life together."
I let out a small breath as I remembered those days.
Back then everything had felt so certain and so real, and I had trusted him with my whole heart without even thinking twice.
"And then everything fell apart," I added quietly.
Mathew remained silent, but I could feel his attention on me. He was listening carefully, and that alone made the words come out easier.
"I left with nothing," I said slowly. "Just pain… and two babies growing inside me."
For a moment my eyes moved to the twins again.
They were now arguing over who got the bigger slice of pizza, and Jasmine had already smeared a little tomato sauce on her cheek without even noticing it. Hanith was laughing again as he tried to wipe it off her face with a napkin, but he only ended up making the mess bigger.
Despite everything that was weighing on my mind, a small smile touched my face.
"They became my whole world," I said softly.
Mathew nodded gently as he followed my gaze toward the twins.
"I know," he said.
I watched the children for a few seconds before speaking again.
"When they were born, I promised myself something," I continued quietly. "I promised that no matter how hard life became, I would always protect them and give them the best life I could."
I paused briefly before adding another thought that had always lived in the back of my mind.
"And I also promised myself that I would never let Aaron hurt us again."
Mathew leaned back slightly in his chair, and his expression softened.
"You have done an amazing job raising them," he said after a moment. "You should not doubt that."
I shook my head slowly.
"Sometimes I still feel like I am just trying to survive every day," I admitted.
The truth was that being strong all the time was exhausting. There were nights when the twins were asleep and the house was finally quiet, and those were the moments when the weight of everything I carried became very clear.
But I had never allowed myself to stop.
I shook my head slightly.
"And now suddenly Aaron appears again and starts asking questions," I continued slowly. "He looks at them like he already belongs in their lives."
My fingers tightened around each other as the frustration inside me slowly rose again.
"I am not ready for that," I admitted.
Mathew leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table while he studied my face carefully.
"Not ready for what?" he asked softly.
"For him," I replied immediately.
The word came out sharper than I intended, but it was the truth.
"I don't think I am ready to forgive him," I said honestly.
The sentence hung in the air between us, and for a few seconds neither of us spoke. The noise of the restaurant continued around us, with people talking and plates moving, but our table felt strangely quiet.
Mathew watched me carefully before speaking again.
"Katherine," he said gently, "forgiving someone and allowing them to take responsibility are two different things."
I sighed quietly as I leaned back in my chair.
"I know," I replied.
But even as the words left my mouth, I knew that understanding something with my mind did not mean my heart was ready to accept it.
Because knowing it and feeling it were two completely different things.
"I spent five years building a life for those kids," I said slowly. "Five years protecting them and making sure they never felt like they were missing anything."
My eyes moved to Hanith again as he tried to take another huge bite of pizza and almost dropped the slice on the table. Jasmine burst into laughter as she watched him struggle, and then she quickly grabbed a napkin and tried to help him clean the sauce that had already fallen on his fingers.