Babies' Secret: My Ex Wants Me Back!
Chapter 38: Unwilling dinner

Chapter 38: Unwilling dinner

Chapter 38

It had been two days since he saw the twins. He quickly traveled out of the state to take care of some business that required his presence, and now he was back. He smiled, holding a small polythene bag. He had made a detour on his way to Katherine’s apartment to buy some goodies for the kids.

He bought toys, chocolate, and snacks he knew they liked. When he reached the apartment door, he smiled, exhaling. The apartment now felt like home to him. He felt like a husband who had gone out to work and was coming back home.

He couldn’t wait to see the surprised look on his family’s faces. He turned the doorknob and noticed it was unlocked, which was surprising. Aaron pushed the door open with one hand, the other balancing the package. He couldn’t wait to see the excited expressions on their faces—he lived for it.

He had texted Katherine earlier about dropping by, but she hadn’t responded. Well, she never minded when he dropped by unannounced.

Aaron walked in casually, hoping to be greeted by the kids buzzing—but stopped when he heard the sound of laughter drifting from the kitchen—Jasmine’s loud voice and Hanith’s soft chuckle. A smile automatically found its way to his lips as he tiptoed to the kitchen to surprise them. But that smile vanished immediately when his eyes saw the scene in front of him as he stepped into the kitchen.

Mathew stood at the cooker, sleeves rolled up to his arms, showing his bulging muscles, an apron tied neatly around his waist and neck. He was stirring something in a pan with ease—his face softened, which contrasted the look he always gave Aaron.

Beside him, Jasmine stood on a small footstool, spatula in hand, while Hanith sat at the edge of the counter, chewing something slowly with a dazed expression.

"Uncle Mat is the best cook in the whole world!" Jasmine declared, grinning widely.

Aaron’s shoulders stiffened at the statement, his fingers tightening slightly around the handle of the bag.

Katherine, who was settling the plates on the table, laughed lightly. "More than me?" she asked, a teasing edge in her voice.

"Yes, Mommy," Jasmine replied without hesitation, while Hanith nodded in agreement, lips still full.

"From now on, you go eat your food at Uncle Matty’s place," Katherine teased, turning slightly toward them.

Jasmine’s eyes widened slightly. "You’re the best mommy," Jasmine added with a grin.

Aaron watched. They hadn’t even noticed him yet. He felt like an outsider because of the way they laughed together—they looked like a complete family. Until Katherine turned and noticed Aaron standing stiffly in the doorway.

Her smile altered into an awkward one. "Oh—you two haven’t seen each other in a while," she said, a bit too casually. She rubbed the back of her neck, feeling guilty. She didn’t know why she felt that way—maybe because Aaron had already become part of the family and he saw—

Aaron stepped in slowly, his eyes not leaving Mathew, whose expression had turned stiff, then flicked to Katherine, then the kids. He set the bag down on the counter and forced a polite smile.

"Nice apron," he said, extending a hand to Mathew.

Mathew didn’t miss a beat as usual, took the stretched hand, and gave it a firm shake. "Made by Katherine," he smirked tauntingly.

Katherine stepped in quickly, placing herself slightly between them. "Mathew’s been helping with dinner since the kids insisted on homemade pasta," she quickly said, not wanting to cause a misunderstanding. "They practically begged," she added nervously. Aaron smiled sadly—she didn’t need to explain to him.

"Uncle Piano!" Jasmine chirped, rushing toward him, and Aaron enveloped her in a hug. "I’ve missed you."

"I missed you too," he said, pecking her cheek and doing the same to Hanith.

"When did you come back?"

"Just now," he responded, pulling the kids to the counter. "This is the souvenir," he said, showing the kids the package, and they jumped on him again.

"You are the best!" Aaron smiled melancholically. "I’ll be going now."

He turned to leave when Hanith grabbed his hand. "Aren’t you going to eat dinner with us?" he asked softly, while Aaron was shocked by Hanith’s boldness.

"Oh," Aaron blurted out, quickly looking at Mathew. "I don’t want to disturb your—"

"Stay for dinner!" Jasmine also tugged his hand.

Aaron quickly glanced at Katherine with a raised brow, silently asking for permission.

She paused, then gave a short nod. "It’s fine."

Aaron smiled and took his seat at the table, rolling his sleeves then folding his arms.

The kitchen felt smaller now. Mathew returned to the cooker while Katherine moved to pour juice, and the twins kept chatting, oblivious to the adult awkwardness.

Mathew turned and handed Jasmine a small bowl. "Taste this. It’s five-star, kiddo?"

Jasmine took a spoonful and gave a dramatic hum of delight. "Hmmmm... Uncountable stars."

Aaron cleared his throat, his ears piqued. How good at cooking was Mathew? "Fancy for a home kitchen," he said honestly. The meals on the table were carefully set and cooked.

Mathew shrugged, unbothered. "Better than frozen meals and takeout."

"Depends on the company."

Katherine quickly shot Aaron a brief warning glance. "Careful." Aaron smiled and nodded.

Jasmine laughed, poking from Mathew to Aaron then to her mom. "You both talk funny."

Dinner was plated, the table set. Everyone took a seat—Aaron next to Hanith, Mathew beside Jasmine, Katherine opposite Aaron.

The food looked annoyingly perfect, like from a five-star restaurant. He stared at the pasta and shook his head. It might look good, but the taste should be horrible. He swallowed the lump in his throat, steeled himself, and took a bite.

Shit.

It tasted delicious.

He chewed slower than usual. Had he and blondie been on speaking terms, he would have offered him a job as his personal cook. But no way—that son of a bitch was a pain in his relationship.

Mathew watched him out of the corner of his eye, waiting for Aaron to make a nasty comment.

"Not bad," Aaron muttered.

Mathew smirked knowingly—his cooking skills weren’t a joke. "Not bad beats horrible."

Aaron didn’t respond. His fork scraped a little harder than necessary as he watched the way Hanith leaned against Mathew, the way Jasmine giggled at his jokes, the way Katherine smiled when Mathew offered her the napkin she forgot.

He hated it.

The whole scene clawed at something inside him.

He stared at his plate, voice low. "Didn’t realize we were all playing house now."

Mathew raised an eyebrow but didn’t speak and focused on his meal.

"Behave." Katherine’s voice was sharp.

"I’ll behave," he mumbled like a scolded child and didn’t look up.

Jasmine blinked at them all. "Are we having dessert?"

"Maybe," Katherine said, her voice tighter than before. "If everyone finishes dinner."

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