"Wake up mum, it's past breakfast time." Sandra squealed as she jumped on her mum's bed with Samuel and gently shook her.

"Yeah, it's almost 11am." Samuel chipped in.

Annabelle yawned deeply and opened her eyes.

"It's morning already?"

"Almost 11am mum!" Samuel screamed.

"What?" Annabelle sat up. "How did I sleep up until this time?"

"Don't know." Sandra shrugged.

Annabelle rubbed her eyes and looked at them both as they peered at her.

"Have you both had breakfast?"

"Yes," Sandra replied. "A long time ago."

"We wanted to come wake you but hero said you were tired and we should let you sleep more." Samuel said.

Of course he did.

The children left her room to allow her freshen up.

When she came out of the bathroom after she was done bathing, a tray of food was waiting on her bed for her.

She looked around but didn't see who had brought it in. She had heard the door open and close twice after a knock but she had thought it were the kids. Must have been the maid.

She munched on the large delicious breakfast then took the almost empty tray downstairs to the kitchen where she met the cook. It was a new person, not Abigail.

"Good morning." She said as she dropped the plates in the dishwasher.

The middle aged help who had a pleasant face turned to her and smiled.

"Good morning ma'am. Hope you slept well?"

"Yes I did." She smiled. "And I enjoyed the breakfast too. It was very delicious."

The woman grinned. "Mr Maxwell is definitely good in making some breakfast dishes."

Annabelle frowned. "What do you mean?"

The help looked at her wide eyed. "I meant he cooks certain breakfast meals really well."

"You mean he prepared the breakfast I just had?" She asked.

The woman nodded. "Yes madam. He even made the breakfast he and the kids had had this morning. Then made yours too."

"Wait he... was he the person that brought my breakfast up to my room?"

"Yes madam." The help said slowly, not knowing if she should be releasing such information.

Annabelle frowned in thought briefly then smiled at the woman. "I'm Annabelle."

The woman grinned. "Pleased to meet you madam, I'm Mercy."

***

She went to the gym room to look for them as Mercy had told her they were there.

She heard the children's giggles and excited talks and she slowly walked to the entrance of the room and her heart pounded in unexplainable joy and contentment.

He was doing push-ups, a grin on his face while the twins counted for him, clearly enjoying themselves.

She watched them unobtrusively for a long while then turned and left not wanting to spoil the moment. She even needed to start getting ready to go back to her mother's house with the kids.

A knock came on the door then the children ran into the room laughing excitedly.

"Mum, we had so much fun!" Sandra exclaimed.

Annabelle smiled at her. "So much fun baby?"

"Yeah!" Samuel agreed. "But we have something to ask you mum."

"Yeah." Sandra supported.

"What is it dear?" Annabelle asked with a smile.

"Please mum, we still want to stay in Hero's house today as well then leave tomorrow evening to prepare for school on Monday." Samuel said with cute pleading eyes.

"What?" Annabelle's smile vanished. "No."

"Pwease mum." Sandra joined.

"No way. We can't stay longer." She said firmly. "Remember he only invited us over to spend just one night."

"But he agreed that we could stay." Samuel reasoned.

Annabelle's eyes widened. "What? You asked him before asking me?"

"No!" The twins chorused.

"We only told him we were enjoying our stay with him and he said he would like us to stay longer but we would have to ask for permission from you first." Samuel explained.

"He said that?" Annabelle asked softly.

"Yes mummy." Sandra replied. "Can we stay? Pwetty pwease."

Annabelle rolled her eyes as they both stared at her with puppy dog eyes.

"Fine!"

"Yes!" The twins clapped their hands in excitement and gave each other a high five.

David sat in his study scanning through some papers absentmindedly.

He couldn't help but wonder whether Annabelle was going to let their kids stay longer with him. He prayed she would accept for he still wanted to spend more time with his kids.

His kids. He still couldn't believe he was a father, had a been a father all these while to such perfect children. They were a blessing. A blessing he didn't even deserve.

He smiled thinking of the first day he had met them and the wonderful time they had spent together last night and even this morning. They brought out the over-playful side of him and he loved it. He loved them. They were simply perfect.

His son and his daughter. His children. His blood.

He still had the smile on his face when several knocks came on the door to his study.

He grinned, knowing it was none other than his children.

"Come in you two."

They opened the door and bounced in excitedly and Annabelle slowly followed suit.

"Mum said we could stay!" Sandra said excitedly.

"Yeah!" Samuel supported.

He glanced at her and she looked away then he grinned at the little bubbly precious creatures before him. "That's great! We're going to have so much fun."

"Yay!" The twins squealed excitedly.

"Can aunt Mercy show us the fish pond now?" Samuel asked with eager eyes.

"Of course." He smiled.

"Thanks!" The twins chorused.

"Don't go too close to the water though. Mercy will take care of you." He said.

"Be careful, both of you." Annabelle said as they waved goodbye and left the room chatting excitedly.

"They're perfect." He said softly.

Annabelle nodded. "They are a blessing."

He gestured for her to sit and poured a glass of wine for her.

"So," he said nervously handing the glass to her and she accepted. "Have you thought about it?"

She sighed, knowing what he was talking about. "Well, at this point I have no choice but to. We're telling them today."

His eyes lit up. "Really?"

"There's no point wasting time anymore, is there?" She sighed. "I'm doing this for them."

"You won't regret letting me into their lives." He said softly. "Thank you."

***

Samuel and Sandra just stared at their parents who sat on the couch opposite them after Annabelle dropped the bombshell.

She could feel David finding it hard to breathe as nervousness engulfed him.

Even she herself waited with bated breath to hear the kids' answers.

"Hewo is our daddy?" Sandra was the first to break the silence.

"Yes baby." Annabelle replied softly.

"Then where have you been all these while? You never came home to see us and mum?"

Samuel said with a shrug.

"Yeah." Sandra agreed.

David exchanged a look with Annabelle then sighed.

"I'm so sorry about that but it wasn't intentional." He started. "You see, mummy and daddy had a fight a long time ago before you were born and had to stay away from each for a while. When she was carrying you both in her... tummy, we lost contact with each other so she wasn't able to tell me that we were having you two up until when she moved back here with you both.

I know you might not find it easy to accept that a man you had only recently met is your dad and I understand. But please, I need you two to give me a chance to make up for the lost years that I was not with you all and start a new chapter of our lives."

He finished and stared at them with a soft and remorseful expression, his heart pounding hard against his chest.

"You really are our daddy?" Samuel asked gently.

He nodded with a rueful smile. "Yes son, I really am."

The twins exchanged a look, communicating with their eyes and then suddenly they grinned.

"Cool!" They chorused loudly and Annabelle almost jumped off her seat.

"We have a daddy!" Sandra squealed in excitement.

"And a cool one at that!" Samuel added.

"With the biggest house in the whole world." Sandra continued.

"And really cool cars."

"Don't forget he's a cute daddy."

"And he's very tall and strong."

"He will protect us from bad people."

"And he will always play with us."

"My friends are going to be so jeayous!" Sandra exclaimed proudly.

"And my friends will call me cool!" Samuel exclaimed in equal ardor.

"We have a daddy!" They exclaimed in unison.

Their parents who had been watching them with both surprise and a grin on their faces breathed a sigh of great relief that they had taken the news well.

David recovered from the shock when they both ran to him and embraced him tightly. He felt like shedding tears as he held them both close to his heart. They were his. His forever and no one or nothing could ever take them away from him.

"I love you both." He whispered as his heart swelled in joy.

"We love you too daddy." They replied.

When they finally released each other. The kids looked at both parents expectantly.

"Since you are our dad, why are you and mummy not staying together?" Samuel asked.

David felt Annabelle still beside him. His own heart started beating again like crazy.

"Yeah," Sandra supported. "You two are supposed to be mawwied and staying together with us in the same house. Other kids at school are staying with their mum and dad in one house."

David slowly exchanged a look with Annabelle. He didn't know how to answer that. And from the way her lips were pressed tightly together, he knew she couldn't answer as well.

❤️