Babies' Secret: My Ex Wants Me Back!
Chapter 48: A gift

Chapter 48: A gift

Chapter 48

Katherine had been doing everything in her power to avoid Aaron.

She couldn’t look him in the eyes—not after what she did. Not after sitting in that bathtub, his hoodie clutched to her chest, picturing him and touching herself like a shameless woman.

Every time she passed him in the hallway or heard his footsteps approaching, her chest would seize as her throat would dry up like a thirsty woman in the desert. And her eyes would dart away in guilt and shame.

She had kept her head down, pretended to be busy, always finding something else to do, somewhere else to be. Anything to keep from meeting his gaze and thinking of him.

Katherine felt like she had used him—his scent, his memory, his presence—as her source of relief, and now the shame hung heavy on her skin like okirika. She’d assaulted him emotionally.

But her avoidance didn’t last long when Jasmine bounced into the kitchen with her usual determined grin on her face while Aaron was busy with his work.

"Mummy, let’s buy a gift for Uncle Piano!"

Katherine blinked, dumbfounded at her daughter. Where did that idea come from? "A gift?" she asked slowly, tilting her head.

Jasmine nodded eagerly, her eyes practically glowing with excitement. "Yes! For always being nice, for playing with us, for buying us gifts, and for loving us also."

Katherine smiled queasily at Jasmine’s reason. She wasn’t yet ready to face Aaron. As her mouth half-opened to protest, Hanith walked in quietly behind his sister, nodding slowly in agreement. Although her mind twisted with resistance, with her babies’ eyes, Katherine found herself smiling—a small, reluctant thing—and saying, "Okay. Let’s go."

Downtown was busy as always, filled with the bustling and hustling of life and rustling of footsteps. They went to a small boutique store that Jasmine insisted on.

Katherine trailed behind them, hands in her coat pockets, pretending not to look over her shoulder every few seconds like Aaron might suddenly appear, surprising them.

When they entered the store, the shelves were packed with everything from decorative mugs to wallets and beautiful ornaments. Katherine smiled seeing Jasmine pull Hanith by the wrist, dragging him from aisle to aisle while she kept a distant watch, letting them explore as they wanted.

Jasmine examined almost everything in the store with furrowed brows. She picked an item, wrinkled her nose in disapproval, and dropped it back on the shelf, muttering all her dissatisfied comments out loud—Katherine nearly prayed for the ground to swallow her from her daughter’s unapologetic behavior.

"Too cute."

"Too boring."

"Too shiny."

"It’s ugly."

Jasmine scrunched her nose in displeasure, huffing angrily for not seeing what suited her Uncle Piano as Hanith looked lost, his eyes scanning the shelves, trailing after his hyperactive sister yet unsure of what exactly she was looking for.

They wandered for some time before Jasmine paused, her mouth gaped as she pulled her brother to the shelf. She had finally found the right gift.

Sat in a glass case near the front of the store: a miniature piano keychain, handcrafted in wood with delicate silver edges.

Beautiful.

Jasmine’s eyes lit up as they twinkled with happiness, while Hanith, as if knowing what his sister wanted, pointed at the item and whispered quietly, "He plays piano... He’ll like this."

Katherine smiled in relief that they finally found what they wanted and watched as they pulled out their small piggy bank wallets—crumpled notes and coins from savings. They laid it on the counter, pushing it to the cashier.

The cashier counted their money and told them it wasn’t enough. Both kids looked sad.

Katherine sighed and reached into her purse without a word, handing the rest of the money to the lady.

The lady wrapped it in a soft black pouch and tied it with a red ribbon.

.

Later that evening, Aaron dropped by. He looked tired, his hair was messy, and his eyes slightly sunken, but still managed to keep that charming grin of his when the kids ran toward him with the pouch clutched.

"We got you something!" Jasmine squealed, bouncing on her toes.

Aaron blinked in surprise, the tiredness evaporating from his shoulders immediately. "Me?"

Hanith stood behind his sister, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. Katherine stood a few feet away, half-shielded by the archway near the hallway, watching without stepping forward.

Aaron crouched, letting Jasmine drop the pouch into his palm. He untied the ribbon carefully and pulled out the miniature piano.

His fingers paused, stared at it for a moment as he trailed his hand gingerly on it like a delicate jar. His lips parted, and he let out a soft exhale. "This... is beautiful," he murmured, voice hoarse.

The twins grinned excitedly at him as Aaron reached for both of them and pulled them into a tight hug. His hand brushed the back of Hanith’s head while Jasmine giggled into his chest.

Katherine’s chest tightened at the display. She turned slightly, pressing herself against the hallway wall to keep her balance. She hadn’t returned the hoodie. She didn’t know how to return it. And he hadn’t asked about it.

After the kids had been tucked into bed, the house grew quiet again. The kind of quiet that made every sound louder.

Katherine stood at the sink, drying the last plate from dinner, trying not to think too much, trying not to feel too much. Her brown hair was tied back, and the dish towel was tucked into her side as she stared blankly at the faucet.

She heard his steps before she saw him.

Aaron entered the kitchen slowly, his presence making the hair on her back stand in anticipation. But he didn’t say anything at first, just moved to the counter and placed the pouch next to his phone and wallet like it was the most valuable thing he owned.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

Katherine flinched. Her fingers tightened around the towel as she opened her mouth, ready to say it was the kids’ idea, that she had nothing to do with it—but before the words could come out, he beat her to it.

"For letting them love me."

She swallowed hard. Her eyes flicked to his, then looked away quickly. Her therapist’s words echoed in her head like a whisper:

You’re allowed to be cautious. Just don’t confuse fear with wisdom.

"I didn’t do anything," she muttered, voice low, her hands fidgeting with the dish towel awkwardly. "You work and earn it."

Aaron took a slow step closer, stopping just short of her space like he knew not to push. His voice stayed soft.

"They trust me because of you."

Katherine didn’t respond. Her mouth went dry, her chest rising and falling faster, despite the stillness in the room. Her hands dropped the towel into the sink as she turned toward the window, pretending to inspect the empty counter.

"That keychain," he said suddenly, breaking the silence. "It means more than you know."

Katherine blinked, her gaze focused on the glass. Her reflection stared back at her.

"They remembered the piano, and they thought of me," he added in a softer voice. But Katherine couldn’t bring herself to look at him. She wasn’t ready yet.

"You’re part of their life now," she grumbled.

A pregnant pause. "But are you avoiding me?"

Katherine’s breath sucked in as her hands trembled, her lashes quivered a little. She cleared her throat and slightly turned to him, her eyes meeting his before she quickly looked away. Her chest thumping furiously and blood rushed through her stream.

"No, I’m not," her voice came out quickly—too quickly than intended. "I mean—"

Aaron smiled faintly, nodding dejectedly. "I understand," he muttered and turned, walking out of the kitchen holding the pouch beside his phone.

Katherine remained where she stood, her hands resting on the edge of the sink for support as she looked down at her fingers—dry, wrinkled slightly from the dishwater—and exhaled haggardly.

She wanted to call him back to explain. But explain what really? She grabbed the sink tightly, feeling the sharp edge below slice her palm as she watched him go.

His back hunched in sadness, and Katherine felt her heart wrench, making a lone tear roll down her cheek.