Emma’s POV

Present Day

The hospital room was eerily silent. The air, thick with tension, made it hard to breathe. My hands trembled as I clutched the DNA test results, my heart slamming against my ribs.

This couldn’t be real, it couldn’t be.

I lifted my gaze slowly, my eyes shifting between the two men standing before me, Jeff and Sam.

Jeff’s face was unreadable, his brows furrowed as if he was trying to make sense of what he was seeing, his hands were shoved into his pockets, his jaw tight.

Sam, on the other hand, was furious. His nostrils flared, his fists clenched at his sides, his entire body radiated anger, betrayal, his dark eyes burned with rage as he glared at me.

“What the hell is this Emma?” Sam’s voice was low, dangerous.

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. My throat was dry, my mind racing.

Sam snatched the paper from my hands and scanned the words again, his expression growing darker with each second. Then, he scoffed.

“This has to be a joke,” he muttered, shaking his head. He lifted his gaze to me, his green eyes sharp and cold, “Tell me this is a mistake.”

I swallowed hard, “I… I don’t know…”

“You don’t know?” He let out a bitter laugh, running a hand through his hair, “You don’t know? Are you kidding me Emma? This whole time, you’ve been making me believe these kids were mine and now you ‘don’t know’?”

His words cut through me like a blade, I shook my head, tears burning the back of my eyes, “Sam, I swear, I didn’t know, I never lied to you. I truly believed… ”

“Oh, don’t even try that innocent act now,” he snapped. His voice was filled with so much venom, I flinched, “You told me you were pregnant, even if I didn't stick around till they were born, I loved them in my thoughts. And I came back and I met them, I still loved them, thinking they were my own. And the whole time, you…. ” He stopped himself, his jaw locking as he exhaled sharply.

“I didn’t do this on purpose.” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Sam scoffed, “Right. You just conveniently forgot who their father was?”

A lump formed in my throat.

“Jesus Emma.” He dragged a hand down his face, pacing the small space of the hospital room, “I turned my entire life upside down for you, for them, I fought for them.” He let out a humorless laugh, “And Jeff? Jeff of all people? He's now their father?”

Jeff, who had been silent until now, straightened. His expression hardened, his shoulders stiff. “What the hell does that mean?”

Sam turned to him, his fists clenching, “It means this is exactly the kind of sick, twisted mess you’d enjoy. You treat her like garbage, you throw her away, and yet somehow, she still ends up tied to you.”

Jeff’s eyes darkened, “Watch your mouth.”

“Or what?” Sam took a step forward, his body taut with anger, “You wanna act like the victim now? You abandoned her Jeff. You treated her like she was nothing and now you suddenly have kids? Kids you never even wanted?”

Jeff’s entire body tensed, his fists curling at his sides, “You have no idea what the hell you’re talking about.”

“I know enough,” Sam spat, “And I swear, if you think you can just walk in and take them from me….”

“You mean my children?” Jeff stepped forward, his voice low and dangerous, “Because that’s what they are. Mine.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Sam lunged.

“Stop it!” I stepped between them just as Jeff shoved Sam back, “Enough, both of you.”

Sam let out a frustrated growl, his eyes still burning with fury. Jeff didn’t take his eyes off him, his jaw ticking, his hands clenched into fists.

“This is not the time or place for this,” I said firmly, looking between them, “Jason just got out of surgery. The kids need stability, not this.”

Sam let out a breath, stepping back. He shook his head, disbelief still written all over his face.

“This isn’t over,” he muttered before turning his gaze to me, “And you, you’ll pay for this Emma.” His voice was filled with so much anger, it made my stomach twist.

I opened my mouth, but he was already walking away, storming out of the hospital without another word.

The room fell silent again.

I turned to Jeff, my breath shaky. He was still staring at the door, his face unreadable.

Then, he exhaled sharply and ran a hand through his hair, “This is insane.”

I nodded, my fingers tightening around my hospital gown, “I know.”

He finally turned to me, his expression unreadable, “Do you really expect me to believe this?”

My heart pounded, “I didn’t know Jeff,” My voice cracked, “I swear, I didn’t know, it has never occurred to me once that you could be their father, not until the blood test came out and it said you were a match.”

Jeff let out a humorless laugh, “How the hell do you not know who fathered your children Emma?”

I flinched.

His words stung, but I couldn’t blame him. I barely understood it myself.

And then, like a floodgate opening, my memories crashed into me.

That night.

The night at the gala.

The unexpected passion, the way he held me, touched me, the way, for one night, we weren’t strangers.

I had buried it. Suppressed it so deeply that I had completely erased it from my mind.

And Jeff, he never thought twice about it. Never considered that it could have led to something more.

My breath hitched.

Oh God.

The twins.

The pieces started falling into place, one by one. The way they never resembled Sam, the little habits and mannerisms they had that didn’t make sense before. The way Jason had always reminded me of someone I couldn’t quite place.

And then it hit me.

They looked like Jeff.

How had I not seen it before? How had I been so blind?

Jeff was watching me carefully, his eyes sharp as he took a step forward, “What is it?”

I swallowed hard, my hands shaking, “That night.” I whispered.

His brows furrowed, “What?”

I lifted my gaze to his, tears welling in my eyes, “That night after the gala, the night we…” I trailed off, unable to say the words.

Realization flickered in his eyes, his expression shifted, his body going completely still.

A long silence stretched between us.

Then, Jeff let out a breath, taking a step back as if the weight of the truth had just crashed into him.

“No,” he muttered, shaking his head, “That can’t be.”

I bit my lip, my stomach twisting. “It is, Jeff. I’m… ” I swallowed hard, “I’m sure of it now.”

He dragged a hand down his face, “Holy shit.”

I couldn’t tell if he was in shock, disbelief, or something else entirely.

For a long moment, he didn’t say anything. Just stood there, staring at me as if he was trying to process everything.

Finally, he exhaled sharply, his voice low, almost hesitant.

“They’re really mine?”

My chest tightened.

I nodded slowly, “Yes.”

Jeff ran a hand through his hair again, his jaw tight, “Jesus.”

Neither of us spoke.

I wasn’t sure what was going through his head, but one thing was clear, this changed everything.

It had been a few hours since the DNA test results dropped and Jason was still asleep, Jeff and I have been quiet for a while now, still trying to wrap our heads around the whole revelation. 

I watched Jeff pace the hospital room, running his fingers through his hair, his breathing uneven as if he was trying to make sense of everything that had happened in the past few hours.

His grey eyes, eyes I once knew so well, were clouded with disbelief. He just stood there, occasionally glancing at me, as if hoping I would say it wasn’t true, but it was true.

I remembered clearly that night, we had not used protection and I did just as he had to me to the next morning, I forgot all about it. It meant nothing like he said. 

"Emma…" He finally broke the silence, his voice hoarse, uncertain, "So I really am their father?" He shook his head, almost as if trying to convince himself otherwise, "I mean, I know the test confirmed it, but I still can't believe it."

I folded my arms, studying him, "Why is it so hard to believe Jeff?" I asked softly.

He let out a humorless chuckle, "Because I was a damn fool Emma."

He exhaled sharply, his gaze meeting mine with something raw, something vulnerable, "I spent years convincing myself that I wasn't, that I couldn't be. That you had moved on without me and built a life that didn’t include me."

His hands clenched into fists before he sighed, his shoulders sagging, "And now, knowing that I wasted all this time," His voice cracked slightly, "God, I wish I had known sooner."

I sat down on the chair beside Jason’s bed and stared at my son, his small chest rising and falling gently. He was still unconscious, but the doctor had assured me that he would wake up soon.

It had been the scariest day of my life, watching him suffer, waiting for answers and now, with Jeff standing here, shaken to his core, I realized that the truth had shaken him just as much.

"You could have known Jeff," I said quietly, "If you hadn't pushed me away the morning after that night, I wouldn't have gotten involved with Sam, we could have found out that I was pregnant.”

Jeff inhaled sharply and turned to me, his eyes burned with regret, "I was a damn idiot Emma. The biggest mistake of my life was letting you walk away thinking I didn’t care, I did care, I cared too much."

He scrubbed a hand down his face, "Back then, I was afraid, afraid of responsibility. I was so obsessed with my own demons that I couldn’t see what was right in front of me." His voice wavered, "But that didn’t mean I didn’t love you."

I blinked, "You loved me?"

His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, "I never stopped."

His words settled between us, heavy and undeniable. I sucked in a breath, unsure how to respond.

"I've wished for this Emma." His voice softened, almost pleading, "For years, I've secretly hoped that they were mine. Every time I thought about you, every time I wondered where you were, I wished."

He shook his head, "And now that I know the truth, I swear to you, I won’t waste another second. I’ll be the father they deserve, I’ll take care of them, I’ll spoil them rotten, hell, I’ll give them everything." He took a step closer, "And I’ll prove to you that I’m not the man I used to be."

Tears pricked my eyes. This was the Jeff I had always wanted, the one who wasn’t afraid to show his heart, the one who was ready to step up.

"You really mean that?" I whispered.

He nodded, "With everything in me." He hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Emma I don’t just want to be in the twins’ lives, I want us to be a family, a real family. I know I don’t deserve a second chance after everything I put you through, but if you give me one, I swear I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you."

A shiver ran down my spine.

This was everything I had once dreamed of. A life where my kids had their father, where I didn’t have to do this alone. A life where love wasn’t just a distant memory but something tangible, something real.

"Jeff…" I started, my voice trembling, "A few months ago, I would have laughed in your face if you had suggested this but I've seen how much you’ve changed. I see the way you look at them, I see the regret in your eyes and maybe, maybe I see the man I always hoped you’d become."

His breath hitched, "Does that mean… "

I nodded slowly, "I’m open to the idea of us trying again."

The relief that washed over his face was instant. He stepped closer, lifting his hand as if he wanted to touch me, but hesitated, "You won’t regret this Emma." He murmured, "I promise you, I won’t mess this up again."

I smiled faintly, still wary but hopeful, "We’ll take it one step at a time, okay?"

"Okay." He agreed, his lips tugging into a small smile.

Before either of us could say another word, a small groggy voice broke the moment.

"Daddy?"

Jeff and I both turned toward Jason, who was slowly blinking awake. His little face was still pale, but his eyes, so much like Jeff’s, were full of confusion and curiosity.

Jeff didn’t hesitate. He rushed forward, dropping to his knees beside the hospital bed, "Hey buddy," he said softly, taking Jason’s tiny hand in his, "I’m right here."

Jason’s eyes flickered between us before settling on Jeff, "You’re really here daddy?" His voice was so small, so innocent.

Jeff’s throat bobbed as he nodded, "Yeah buddy, I am." He squeezed Jason’s hand gently, "And I’m never going anywhere again, I promise."

Tears slipped down my cheeks as I watched Jason’s lips curve into the tiniest smile.

"Okay.” Jason whispered before his eyes fluttered closed again.

Jeff let out a shaky breath, then pressed a soft kiss to Jason’s forehead. I didn’t miss the way his hands trembled, the sheer emotion rolling off him.

I stepped closer, placing a hand on Jeff’s shoulder.

For the first time in years, my heart felt full.

This was the family I had been waiting and wanting all my life.

And somehow, against all odds, it was finally coming together.