Chapter Twelve: Lines in the Sand
Winne hadn't expected the past to knock so soon.
It happened on a Thursday afternoon.
She was leaving the grocery store, Ethan arguing about cereal choices and Lily holding onto her sleeve, when she heard a voice she hadn't heard in over a year.
"Winne?"
Her entire body went still.
She turned slowly.
Daniel.
The twins' father.
He looked almost the same slightly older, maybe thinner but still carrying that familiar confidence that used to make her feel small.
Ethan recognized him first.
"Daddy?" he said uncertainly.
Lily's grip on Winne tightened.
Winne forced her voice to remain steady. "Hi, Daniel."
He smiled like this was casual. Like he hadn't missed birthdays. School plays. Fevers in the middle of the night.
"I was in the area," he said. "Thought I'd see if you were still around."
Still around.
As if she hadn't built an entire life here.
"I am," she replied simply.
Daniel crouched to the twins' level. "You two got big."
Ethan shifted, unsure. Lily hid partially behind Winne's leg.
Winne felt something unexpected rise inside her.
Not fear.
Not longing.
Protection.
That evening, she told Adam.
They were in the living room after the twins went to bed. The house felt heavier than usual.
"He wants to see them more," she said quietly.
Adam absorbed that. "How do you feel about it?"
She appreciated that he didn't jump straight into anger or assumption.
"I don't know," she admitted. "Part of me thinks they deserve that chance. The other part remembers who he was."
"And who was he?"
She met Adam's eyes. "Someone who left when things got hard."
Adam nodded slowly. "Then this isn't about him. It's about what's best for Lily and Ethan."
She exhaled. "Exactly."
There was a pause.
"You don't have to protect me from this conversation," he added gently.
She frowned. "I'm not."
"You are. You're worried I'll feel threatened."
She opened her mouth to deny it then stopped.
Maybe she was.
Adam moved closer. "Winne, the fact that their father exists doesn't change how I feel. I'm not competing. I'm choosing to be here."
Emotion flickered across her face. "But what if he tries to"Disrupt things?" Adam finished. "Then we handle it. Together."
Together.
The word grounded her again.
The next Saturday, Daniel came by the park to spend time with the twins. Winne insisted it be public. Controlled.
Adam didn't hover—but he didn't disappear either. He stayed nearby, giving space while remaining present.
Ethan warmed up first, showing Daniel how fast he could run now. Lily stayed cautious, watching carefully.
Winne observed everything.
Daniel laughed easily. Promised visits. Promised calls.
She had heard promises before.
When the afternoon ended, Ethan looked hopeful. Lily looked thoughtful.
That night, Lily crawled into Winne's lap.
"Is Daddy staying now?" she asked quietly.
Winne chose her words carefully. "He's trying."
"And Adam?"
Winne smiled softly. "Adam is staying."
There was a difference.
Later, Adam stood at the window, hands in his pockets.
"You okay?" she asked.
He nodded. "Yeah."
She stepped closer. "You don't have to pretend you're unaffected."
"I'm not pretending," he said calmly. "I just know something."
"What?"
He turned to face her fully. "Staying isn't about who shows up once. It's about who keeps showing up."
Her chest tightened.
"You don't need to fight for your place," she said.
"I'm not fighting," he replied. "I'm building."
The distinction mattered.
Over the next few weeks, Daniel's visits became inconsistent. One canceled. One shortened. One forgotten.
The twins noticed.
Winne braced herself for disappointment but this time, she didn't brace alone.
One evening, after Daniel missed another promised outing, Ethan sat quietly at the table, pushing food around his plate.
Adam didn't offer false excuses. He didn't criticize either.
He simply said, "It's okay to feel disappointed. That doesn't mean you did anything wrong."
Ethan blinked quickly, trying not to cry.
Lily slipped her hand into Adam's.
Winne watched the scene unfold and felt something click into place.
The past could knock.
It could test.
It could remind her of old wounds.
But it didn't have the power it once had.
Because this time, she wasn't begging someone to stay.
She was standing beside someone who already had.
And that changed everything.