Matthew stood there, unable to move, his chest tightening with something between relief and guilt.
“Daddy!” Ben shouted, spotting him.
Emily turned, startled. Her face paled.
“Mr. Carter—I’m so sorry, I didn’t expect you. I was just—”
“No…” Matthew interrupted, his voice rough. “It’s not that. I just… didn’t expect to see this. They look so…” He couldn’t finish.
Emily relaxed slightly, wiping Caleb’s face with a towel.
“I thought it might help if they felt included,” she said gently. “Kids don’t just need supervision. They need connection.”
The words hit him hard.
That was exactly what he had failed to give them.
He stepped closer, hesitating, then reached out to touch Caleb’s damp hair.
“Do you want to play with us, Daddy?” the boy asked, full of hope.
Matthew didn’t trust his voice. He just nodded.
Minutes later, he was standing at the sink, making bubbles with a sponge while the twins laughed uncontrollably. For an hour, he forgot contracts, meetings, everything—losing himself in something he hadn’t felt in a long time.
Joy.
That night, after the house was quiet and the boys were asleep, Matthew found Emily folding towels.