Jay POV
NEXT DAY
The next morning, we all returned to the auditorium complex for the swimming competitions.
Today's participant from our group was Kai.
He was competing in the freestyle event for the 9-year-old category.
The moment we arrived, Kai was taken away by one of the volunteers to get changed. The rest of us headed toward the seating area.
As expected, Section E and my brothers were already there.
I noticed them immediately.
And immediately ignored them.
Instead, I walked straight toward my seat with F4 following behind me.
As I sat down, something caught my attention.
A small boy wearing a swimming outfit was sitting between Edrix and Freya. His goggles were slightly crooked, and Freya was patiently fixing them while Edrix held a water bottle for him.
I blinked.
Then it clicked.
Edrix and Freya were married.
And that meant...
The little boy was their son.
The child sat quietly while his mother adjusted everything for him. No complaints. No fidgeting. Just calm patience.
I smiled to myself.
Yeah.
He definitely inherited Freya's energy.
A few minutes later Kai returned wearing his competition gear.
I checked the strap of his goggles, adjusted them properly, and gently fixed a loose strand of hair sticking out.
Then he sat beside me.
Soon the announcer began calling participants.
Several children went one after another.
Then suddenly—
"KALE."
The entire Section E exploded.
"LITTLE KALE!"
"GO KALE!"
"YOU CAN DO IT!"
I laughed.
The tiny boy beside Freya immediately stood up.
Without looking nervous, he confidently walked toward the pool.
For a seven-year-old, he was surprisingly composed.
The race started.
And honestly?
The kid was amazing.
He cut through the water smoothly and finished with a performance that made everyone cheer even louder.
When he returned, Freya wrapped a towel around him while Edrix proudly ruffled his wet hair.
Then, just like before, Kale calmly sat between his parents.
Definitely Freya's son.
No doubt.
The younger categories eventually finished.
Then the announcer moved on to the nine-year-old division.
Beside me, Kai suddenly became quiet.
Too quiet.
I looked down at him.
His fingers were tightly gripping the edge of his towel.
"Nervous?" I asked softly.
Kai nodded.
"A little."
I smiled.
"It's okay."
He looked at me.
I leaned closer.
"Just go out there and do your thing."
"What if I lose?"
"You swim."
He blinked.
I continued.
"You don't need to think about winning. Just swim the way you've practiced. The rest will take care of itself."
Kai stared at me for a few seconds before slowly nodding.
"I'll try."
I smiled.
"I know you will."
Then I kissed the top of his head.
"I know you can do it."
A few moments later, the announcer's voice echoed through the arena.
"MATTEO KAI MARIANO."
Kai immediately stood up.
For a second he looked back at me.
I blew him a dramatic flying kiss.
That finally made him laugh.
Then he ran toward the pool.
The race began.
And from the very first second, I knew he was doing well.
His strokes were strong.
Steady.
Confident.
Every lap looked better than the last.
By the time he touched the finish wall, our entire group was cheering.
I couldn't stop smiling.
A few minutes later he returned.
The first thing he did was throw himself into my arms.
"Mama!"
I laughed and hugged him tightly.
"How did I do?"
"You did great."
"Really?"
"Really."
His entire face lit up.
I pushed his wet hair back and handed him a towel.
"Now go change before you catch a cold."
He nodded and ran toward the changing rooms.
I watched him leave before beginning to gather our belongings.
Water bottles.
Towels.
Extra clothes.
Snacks.
Within minutes everything was packed inside my bag.
I slung the bag over my shoulder.
Then quietly left the swimming arena.
One by one, F4 followed behind me.
None of us noticed the eyes watching us leave.
Keifer POV
The moment Jay entered with F4 and the children, I noticed her.
She looked exactly the same.
And completely different.
The old Jay would've waved at everyone.
This Jay didn't even glance our way.
She simply walked past us and sat down.
Like we weren't there.
I watched her throughout the event.
The way she adjusted Kai's goggles.
The way she checked his equipment.
The way she smiled at the children.
The way every kid naturally gravitated toward her.
It felt...
Right.
Then another thing caught my attention.
Her gaze briefly landed on Edrix, Freya, and their son.
Something flashed through her eyes.
A quiet satisfaction.
Like she was happy seeing all of them together.
And honestly?
Maybe bringing everyone together had been her best idea.
The announcer suddenly called out.
"KALE."
Immediately Section E started screaming.
The little boy beside Freya confidently walked down to the pool.
After the race he returned and sat quietly between his parents again.
Then came the next category.
The nine-year-olds.
The boy sitting beside Jay looked nervous.
I watched as she leaned down and spoke softly to him.
Almost immediately he relaxed.
Then the announcer called—
"MATTEO KAI MARIANO."
The boy stood up.
Looked back at Jay.
And Jay blew him flying kisses.
The sight made something tighten painfully inside my chest.
The race ended.
The boy came running back.
Then I heard it.
"Mama! How did I do?"
Mama.
The word echoed inside my head.
Mama.
I stared.
The boy hugged her.
She hugged him back.
Running her fingers through his hair while smiling proudly.
For a moment my brain stopped working.
How many children did she have?
How much of her life had we missed?
How much had happened while she was gone?
Before I could even process it, the event ended.
Kai left to change.
Jay packed everything.
Put on her bag.
And walked away.
F4 followed.
Within seconds they disappeared from the swimming arena.
I stood up immediately.
"So that's it?" Angelo said. "We're letting her leave again?"
"No."
Aries stood.
"Not this time."
The rest of Section E stood as well.
Even her brothers looked determined.
Today was the final day of the games.
If we lost her again, nobody knew when we'd see her next.
The moment we started moving—
A tiny voice stopped us.
"Papa."
We all looked down.
Astra.
Aries' daughter.
Aries immediately knelt.
"Yes, baby?"
Astra smiled brightly.
"I want to watch the tennis match."
Aries blinked.
"Tennis?"
She nodded enthusiastically.
"I love tennis."
Then she pointed at everyone.
"And I want everybody there. Papa, Tito Keifer, Tito Angelo, everyone."
A collective sigh escaped us.
I crouched down beside her.
"And if we don't go?"
Astra dramatically crossed her arms.
"Then I'll be sad."
The little manipulator.
I couldn't help laughing.
"Okay."
Her face instantly brightened.
"Really?!"
"Really."
"YAY!"
She ran back toward her mother.
Angelo groaned.
"Keifer, why did you agree? We need to find Jay."
I stood up.
A small smile forming on my face.
"I already know where she's going."
Everyone looked at me.
"I saw her heading toward the tennis arena."
For a second there was silence.
Then understanding appeared on every face.
Aries smirked.
"So we can do both."
I nodded.
"We can do both."
And together, all of us headed toward the tennis arena.
Unaware that what awaited us there would change everything.
+++++++ END +++++++
one more chapter
take care
bye