Babies' Secret: My Ex Wants Me Back!
Chapter 34: Taking the kids to school

Chapter 34: Taking the kids to school

Chapter 34

The next morning.

The sky was a bit gloomy, in between bright blue and dark gray with a little hint of sun. Like the weather wasn’t sure which identity to take this morning. Whether to be sunny, cloudy, or rainy.

Aaron stood in Katherine’s kitchen, fidgeting with the car keys in his hand like a toy. His phone buzzed continuously with unopened emails, unread messages, and missed calls—but none of them mattered this morning.

Today, he had one fucking job.

Drop the twins off at school to show everyone that the kids aren’t fatherless and he’s their father.

Simple. Normal. Easy, right?

But it wasn’t.

Because it wasn’t just any drop-off.

This was his first time, and damn, he was nervous.

And for some reason, it made his chest tighten and his palms sweat like his first experience meeting with investors.

Maybe because... it kind of did.

He adjusted the sleeves of his shirt and exhaled deeply, repeating the mental note he’d been playing all morning.

Just be cool. Don’t overthink. They’re your kids and you’re their dad. You’ve got this.

The front door creaked open, and immediately the sound of footsteps came racing in.

"Are you ready? Are you ready now?" Jasmine called, already dressed, her backpack bouncing behind her. "We’re going to be late!"

Hanith followed slowly, holding onto the strap of his bag tightly, eyes flicking from the floor to Aaron’s face and gave him a little twinkle of eyes.

Aaron smiled at them, trying to keep his cool. "Good morning, munchkins."

Jasmine rolled her eyes and muttered, "I’m not a munchkin."

"Right. Ms. Champion," he teased, while she gave him a dramatic nod, looking pleased at the name.

Aaron led them to the car and buckled them in with more care than necessary. Jasmine kept talking the whole time—about breakfast, her classroom, something about a new kid—while he nodded along, driving slowly, keeping one eye on the road and one on the mirror where Hanith sat quietly, staring out the window.

The closer they got to the school, the more Aaron’s nervousness heightened, and he could feel Hanith’s too.

They pulled into the parking lot, joining the usual morning crowd of cars and kids and parents waving hurried goodbyes.

Jasmine unbuckled herself immediately and pointed ahead. "That’s the entrance," she announced. "Don’t get lost. It’s not that hard." She chuckled.

Aaron turned to look at her, raising a brow. "Thanks for the tour, little boss."

She shrugged, rolling her eyes. "Just saying."

He smiled, stepping out and walking around to open the back doors. Jasmine hopped out confidently, straightening her jacket like she owned the building.

Hanith... didn’t move.

He clutched the strap of his bag tighter, chewing on his bottom lip.

Aaron crouched beside him, adjusting the little wrinkle on his collar. Then he leaned in, whispering, "You’ve got this, buddy. And hey... if anyone says anything stupid, you let me know. Deal?"

Hanith blinked up at him, his eyes widened as he gave a little nod. Aaron patted his shoulder and stepped back, giving him space.

The three of them started walking toward the gate. Jasmine walked ahead while Hanith stayed closer to Aaron’s side.

Halfway to the gate, Jasmine suddenly stopped and turned dramatically on her heel.

She pointed to her cheek. "Peck," she ordered.

"Huh?" Aaron blurted out, not understanding the little creature’s demand.

She touched her cheek again. "Peck. Here. You’re my dad. You’re supposed to give me a goodbye kiss before I go to class," she explained, while Aaron blinked confusedly. He’d read about that in his textbook. Is that a ritual?

"Why?" he inquired.

Jasmine looked at him, gobsmacked. "It’s normal for a parent to do that to a child," and she gestured for Aaron to come closer. Then she whispered, "And look at the kids waiting to see if you are really our father."

Aaron quickly glanced, and some kids’ eyes were on them. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. She grinned happily and turned around, clearly satisfied.

Hanith stood still awkwardly, waiting for his turn but didn’t know how to ask for his. He glanced up at Aaron expectantly, then quickly looked away.

Aaron stared at Hanith. He didn’t know if he’d mind also.

And slowly, Hanith tilted his head up, not saying a word—but lifting his face slightly, his eyes closed.

Aaron’s heart squeezed. He wanted it too. He smiled and bent down, pressed a light kiss to Hanith’s cheek too.

"There you go, champ."

Hanith smiled. His smile was wide, his face lit up, and it said everything. Happiness was written on his face.

Jasmine ran into the school building excitedly, her arms swinging at her sides, her voice already joining the chorus of children inside. Hanith walked more slowly, disappearing into the crowd of students with his head up just a little higher than usual.

Aaron stood by the gate longer than he meant to, watching until he couldn’t see them anymore. When he turned to go back to the car, he caught a few parents looking.

One woman, balancing a coffee cup and her toddler, chuckled softly as he passed.

"Your kids adore you," she said kindly.

Aaron smiled automatically. "Really?" he asked.

"Yes, it can be seen in their eyes and body action," the woman said.

"Thank you." He walked to his car and sat for a moment, hands on the steering wheel.

Your kids adore you.

He smiled again. Taking the twins to school wasn’t as hard as he thought. It was quite simple and easy. He would like to do that again.

Drop them off, peck the kids, and see them disappear inside the school building.

He pulled out his phone, saw a series of messages and scrolled to Katherine’s name—no message or call from her. His mouth set in a thin line of disappointment and he typed:

~Dropped them at school already and I love it. Would like to do it more often.~

He stared at it for a while and pressed send. Within a few minutes, the screen lit up. A new message.

Katherine:

~ That’s good. Thank you. ~

Aaron stared at the response. His thumb hovered like he wanted to say but nothing came.

He dropped his head to rest on the car seat, his phone in hand as he scrolled to his PA contact.

"Hello, get every information about a child named Tyler Mason, his parents, especially father’s job and connection. I want everything before dawn." he ordered and he clicked his phone off, threw it at the back seat.

That family can’t go scout free.