The sound of dry leaves crunched under Jordan’s feet as he pushed the stroller through the cemetery. It was the first anniversary of the passing of his wife Kyra, the mother of his triplets, whom he was now raising all by himself.
Each step towards Kyra’s resting place felt heavier than the other. With tears in his eyes, Jordan whispered, “We’re going to see mama.”
His triplets were babies when their mom died, and Jordan was heartbroken by the thought that they won’t remember her, her love, her devotion, and her warmth.
Life was cruel, but at least he had his babies, who were the only reason he kept going.
As they approached Kyra’s grave, Jordan noticed a man in his 50s brushing the epitaph that read: A twinkle in our eyes & hearts is now on the skies.
“Who could this man be?” Jordan wondered. His unease grew bigger when he finally got to Kyra’s resting place.
“You must be Jordan,” the man said. “Yes, and you are?” Jordan asked, confused.
The man introduced himself as Denis. He claimed to be Kyra’s old friend from Chicago.
“But she never mentioned someone named Denis,” Jordan thought to himself.
Denis approached the triplets. He observed their features and made comments about their appearance. His behavior was rather awkward, and it made Jordan uncomfortable.
“Listen,” Denis said, “these babies aren’t yours. I’m their real father.”
These words shattered Jordan’s world.
“You are young and have your whole life ahead of you. Give me the babies and start over,” Denis said and handed Jordan a check on $100,000.
Jordan froze and accused Denis of lying. Kyra could never lie to him.
But Denis knew too much about Kyra. He knew of her love for French cusine, her allergies, and even about the scar on her tight.
Jordan got scared. Without saying anything, he took the triplets and rushed towards his car.
The drive home felt like eternity. He had a hard time letting Denis’ words sink in. How could he know so much about Kyra? Was he right about the children? Could Kyra be unfaithful?
His head was buzzing with countless questions.
Jordan’s thoughts drifted to the day he and Kyra first met. He was a bartender, and she walked in one day, taking his breath away. At first, she saw him as nothing more than a friendly bartender.
But one evening, as he was leaving the bar, he saw her crying. She had broken up with her boyfriend, and Jordan comforted her. From that moment on, their bond grew stronger, and she eventually fell fro him.
They tied the knot when she revealed she was pregnant. But no family of Kyra was in attendance. She told Jordan that her parents were dead, and he never questioned anything.
Denis’ words, especially his knowledge of Kyra’s scar, made Jordan doubt her love for him. He started asking himself if the triplets were really his or Denis was telling the truth.
In the days that followed, Jordan went through hell.
Even the thought of losing his triplets sent waves of panic through him.
A week later, he got a call from Denis. “What have you decided? I want my children!” he said. But Jordan wasn’t about to give up without a fight.
“A father is someone who raises them and loves them unconditionally. I will always be there father.”
Denis hesitated a bit and then suggested they meet at a local cafe the following day. “Bring the babies with you,” he said and hung up the phone.
Jordan was fearful. What if it turned out Denis was the real father?
In the morning, he went to the cafe Denis suggested. When he entered, Denis was already there, waiting for him.
Without saying anything, he handed Jordan an old photo.
Jordan was confused. The young woman on the photo resembled Kyra, and the man next to her was obviously Denis. But there was also another woman on the photo.
“What’s this?” Jordan asked, his hands trembling as he held the photo.
“I’m sorry, Jordan,” Dennis said. “I’m not the father of the triplets, I’m their grandfather.”
“What!?” Jordan asked. “But how could that be? Kyra’s parents are dead. She told me that herself.”
It turned out her dad wasn’t. Sadly, their relationship was strained and they didn’t have any contact. But following Kyra’s sudden passing, he wanted to meet her children.
Denis wanted to be part of their lives, so he made up the story of being their dad. He wanted to take them and raise them as his own.
“I know I shouldn’t have done that, Jordan,” Denis said, with tears in his eyes. “But I really want to be part of their lives. My daughter is no longer here, but her babies are. I regret not being the best father, but let me be a better grandfather.”
Jordan needed time to think about everything. He was mad Denis lied to him, but over time, he forgave him.
Despite the pain of the past, they were united by shared responsibility.
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