After the balcony conversation earlier, Yushen and I decided it was finally time to tell the twins. I carried their LEGO bags into the living room, with Yushen quietly following behind, his calm expression masking the anticipation I knew he felt.
"Mom! Can we play now?" Xia squealed, already setting up her pieces.
"Yes, but… first, we need to talk about something," I said gently, kneeling to their level.
Xayden's brow furrowed in curiosity.
"About what, mom?"
I exchanged a glance with Yushen, who nodded, giving me a reassuring smile.
"You know gege Xavier, right?" I started. "Well… he's part of your family too. And so is his dad."
Xia blinked.
"His dad…?"
"Yes… this is Yushen. And… he is also your dad."
The words hung in the air. For a moment, the twins froze, processing the revelation. But instead of instant excitement, something unexpected happened: they glanced at Yushen, then crossed their arms.
"You… you didn't want us before," Xia said quietly, her voice tinged with a pout.
"Yeah… you never came to see us," Xayden added, frowning.
Yushen blinked, a little taken aback, and knelt down to their level.
"I… I wasn't there before because of… things I couldn't control," he said carefully, his calm voice soft but serious. "But I am here now, and I want to spend time with you."
The twins didn't move. Xia's lips were pressed tight, and Xayden's arms remained folded.
"But… you just say it now," Xia whispered, a little sulky.
I stepped closer, gently touching their shoulders.
"I know it feels sudden… and I understand why you're upset. But Uncle Yushen really cares, okay?" I said softly. "He just… needed to know how to do this right, for all of us."
Yushen leaned in, voice even gentler:
"I've thought about you two every day. I may not have shown it before, but I've never stopped caring. I want to make up for lost time… if you'll let me."
Xia crossed her arms tighter, still sulking, while Xayden looked between us, his little frown softening slightly.
"I… I don't know," Xia muttered.
"Me neither," Xayden admitted, quietly.
Yushen nodded, keeping his calm demeanor, letting them process. I smiled, understanding exactly how they felt. They weren't wrong to feel cautious.
"It's okay to feel that way," I whispered. "But you'll see… he's different now. He's really here for you."
For the rest of the afternoon, the twins sulked quietly, dragging their toys around but occasionally sneaking glances at Yushen. He remained patient, letting them approach on their own terms.
By evening, Xia cautiously placed a LEGO piece next to Yushen, and Xayden gently handed him a part of his set. Small steps, but steps nonetheless.
"See? They're warming up," I whispered to Yushen, who smiled softly.
"Yeah… it's going to take time. But we'll get there," he said quietly, watching them carefully.
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