Jason got out of the car, his expression cold. “I called and texted you. Bebe forgot a book she needs for her report. I thought I would pick it up and drop off James. He looked at me. “Enjoying my house, Will?”
Natalie stepped forward before things could escalate. “Jason, let’s not do this with the children in the car,” she said firmly.
Jason’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue. Bebe rolled down her window. “Is Ivy here?” she asked.
Natalie crouched down to her daughter’s level. “No, sweetie. Ivy isn’t here.”
Jason raised an eyebrow, clearly waiting to see how Natalie would handle this. She opened the car door and said, “Why don’t we all go inside for a minute?”
James looked confused. “Mommy, aren’t we going to Legoland?”
“We are,” Natalie said. “We just need to talk about something first.”
Inside, Natalie gathered James and Bebe in the living room. Jason and I stood awkwardly to the side, waiting for her to speak.
Natalie knelt in front of the kids, her demeanor calm. “I love you both very much and you are my number one priority. You know how Daddy has a friend, Brooke?”
Bebe’s face lit up. “I like Brooke! She sang to me the other night.”
Natalie’s smile faltered for just a moment, but she quickly recovered. “I’m glad you like her. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. You know how Daddy and Brooke spend time together because they’re friends?”
Bebe nodded, her little brow furrowing slightly.
“Well, Will and I spend time together too, and he’s very special to me. You’re probably going to see him, Ivy, and her siblings a little more often.”
James tilted his head. “Like…special how?”
Natalie hesitated, glancing at Jason, who remained silent but watchful. “He’s more than a friend,” she explained gently. “We really care about each other, and we enjoy spending time together. Does that make sense?”
Bebe looked thoughtful. “Does that mean Ivy and I will be sisters?”
“Not exactly,” Natalie said with a small laugh. “But you might see her more often. You’re still my number one priority, okay? That’s never going to change.”
Bebe’s face relaxed. “Okay.” She brightened suddenly. “Can Ivy and I have a sleepover here?”
Natalie laughed, glancing at Jason. “We’ll talk about that another time. Right now, we’re just figuring out how to spend time together as a family.”
James shrugged. “Okay, can we go to Legoland now?”
“Almost, buddy. Just a couple more things to sort out first,” Natalie said, standing up. “I’m just going to check Bebe’s room for her book. Why don’t you two spend a little time in the playroom while I look?”
“Yay!” James exclaimed, grabbing Bebe’s hand as they darted out of the room.
As soon as the kids were gone, the tension in the room thickened. Jason turned to me, his jaw tight.
“I should punch you for fucking my wife,” Jason said, his voice low and sharp.
I stood my ground, meeting his glare head-on. “You’re right. What I did was out of line. I’d want to kill someone if they did that to me.”
Jason’s nostrils flared, but he didn’t respond immediately.
The sound of footsteps broke the silence. Natalie returned, her brow furrowed. “What’s going on here?” she asked, glancing between us.
Jason crossed his arms. “I’m not too happy about seeing both of you under my roof when I can’t even get ahold of you.”
Natalie sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Jason, I’m sorry. I know this is hard, and I should’ve been more on top of my phone. But we need to figure out a way to work together for the kids’ sake.”
I stepped in, keeping my tone calm and even. “Jason, I care about Natalie. I don’t want to make things harder for you, Bebe or James. What I did was wrong, and I am sincerely sorry.”
