I responded by pulling myself to his lips on the tips of my toes. I didn’t say it back. I kissed him. Paxton kissed me back and closed the door between our room and the girl’s room. I don’t know what made it so different. The way he looked at me as he thrusted himself in and out of me? The tender way his hands explored my body? The way my body became possessed by his body on mine? Or maybe it was the way exploded together. Whatever it was, it was out of this world, and something else changed between us. A little more was chipped away, and I got a little closer. I was irrevocably in love with Paxton Pierce. I was in love with my life.

Once again, I let my guard down and fell. I fell so hard, and I knew with all my heart and saw, if I fell, if he let me go, it would hurt. It would devastate me. A wound I wasn’t sure I could survive.

I went on that trip with the intentions of bringing up a separation. Frustrated with my nine day silent treatment. I left with it being the furthest thing from my mind. I didn’t want go back to Florida. I wanted to stay in Disneyland where life was a fairytale. My fairytale.

Our flight home was bittersweet. The girls watched a movie, colored in their new princess coloring books, and napped. Rowan’s head rested on my lap, and Ophelia slept in one of the seats. She wasn’t tired. She just wanted to look out the window. I sat right beside my husband, hanging on to every word he said about his plans to try my idea. I was one hundred percent sure we’d have a waterfall slide before Rowan and Ophelia started school.

We used the tiny space in the bathroom for our own pleasure again, and then we slept, too. Four hours of sound sleep. We both needed that. Me especially. I kept my eyes open every night for as long as I could, afraid of another memory I didn’t want.

I hadn’t even felt us land before I heard Paxton, quietly calling my name. I raised up and stretched, seeing the bright sun. Ahh, normal time. Finally. Three hours was hard as hell to get used to. Especially for a five and six year old. They couldn’t make it past eight p.m. That meant they didn’t sleep in either. Our late night rendezvous caught up with us by the end of our stay.

The girls were wide awake, skipping across the parking lot like they were going to Disneyland. Me. Not so much. I needed coffee. Paxton held my hand and yawned with me, heading to our awaiting car. I let go of his hand and skipped ahead with girls when his phone rang. The way he answered told me it was work.

“Pierce Pools and Landscaping. This is Paxton.”

My little critters squealed when I ran up behind them and growled, stiff fingers to their ribs. Ophelia sat straight down. I had to step over her to keep from falling. She did that every single time. I laughed and looked back to Paxton’s serious expression.

“First Carter Bank? Yeah, I know where it is, but I don’t bank there. Did you see her there?”

Now I paid attention.

“Mommy, I get to sit behind you. Tell Phi it’s my turn. She got to pick the snacks.”

“Snacks don’t count. Right, Mom?” Ophelia asked and then the argument broke out.

Snacks don’t count. Those were the fighting words. I ignored the argument over nothing for the words spoken right behind me.

“Delgardo? I mean, yeah. My wife’s maiden name was Delgardo, but not Izabella. I’m not sure who that is. Can I call you tomorrow? I literally just landed from vacation with my family. I can meet you tomorrow afternoon.”

Paxton scooped Ophelia up from behind and dropped her to his shoulders, ending the conversation. My hair flipped to my back when I looked behind me with a need to read his face. It was sneaky, like a cat ready to pounce on a juicy mouse. I was the mouse.

“No fighting. We just got home.”

My heart beat fast with adrenaline. Isabella. He knew something about Izzy.

“Paxton, who was that?”

I expected to see the smirk back. The Paxton that hated me, but I didn’t. His expression was worried. Maybe a little sad. “A private investigator. He has some information about the day you left. Some footage from First Carter Bank. I didn’t really understand it. An abandoned car was left in their parking lot. It was registered to an Isabella Delgardo. That’s your maiden name. Do you know who that is?”

“I think so. What did he say? Where is she?”

Paxton opened the back door and both girls climbed in. I held onto Rowan’s shoulders and whispered in her ear. “It’s her birthday. Can you sit behind, Daddy?” she nodded in agreement and smiled. I patted her on the butt and winked a thank you.

Paxton close the door and turned to me, worry in his eyes and across his forehead. “Who is it, Gabriella?”

“I don’t know for sure, Pax. Remember I asked you if I had a sister. I’m sure I do. I’m sure she’s Izzy Delgardo, but why don’t you know that?”

“You told me it was only you. You said your mother got caught coming into the country illegally when you were like three, or maybe five. I don’t know. You said you grew up in foster homes. Did you lie to me?”

I could see the internal fight he struggled with. He wanted to lash out at me, but he didn’t want to ruin what we’d been working so hard to nourish into this.

“Don’t do this, Pax. I don’t know. I have no idea what I said to you before, and you know that.”

“Is this going to change things, Gabriella?” His voice was crackly and his eyes were stressed.

I shrugged my shoulders and pleaded for him to understand. “Paxton, I swear. I don’t know.”

“Should I ignore this? Delete the email?”

I should have said yes. I should have told him right then and there that I didn’t want to know. I couldn’t do it. My twin. I wanted to know. I had to know.

“I don’t think we can. Do you?”

“Mom! Rowan licked my hand,” Ophelia called, nose smashed against the window.

Paxton opened my door and I got into a silent car. I didn’t hear the arguing going on in the backseat, the stern way he told them to knock it off, or the weather update on the radio. A tropical storm was scarcely away from getting hurricane status, expected to hit land in four days.

That night was the first day of the rest of my life. The girls settled down by seven, both sound asleep on the sofa by eight. Rowan slept with her legs over mine and Ophelia slept in some sort of twisted pretzel position, curled beside her dad. Paxton repositioned her to keep her from waking with a stiff neck. Her head hit the pillow with dead weight and her fell, right between Paxton’s legs. He grunted and grabbed his nuts while moving her foot.

My fingers laced with his and I leaned into him. His lips met my forehead and he questioned my state of awareness. “What’s on your mind, Gabriella?”

I sighed a heavy breath and traced each of his fingers with mine. “I’m not ready to hand over my happy. I feel like it’s my turn. Like I deserve it. Ya know?”

“You do deserve it, Gabriella. Where was this girl six years ago?”

I shrugged, sputtering air from my lips. “Would you have given me the time of day had you met this me?”

“I don’t know. I only gave you what you wanted.”

“I don’t know what that means, Pax.”

“It doesn’t matter. Let’s just wait and see what he has. It’s probably nothing.”

I knew that wasn’t the case. It couldn’t be. How many Isabella Delgardo’s could there be? My Clyde. It was Izzy, it had to be Izzy.

“It does matter Paxton. What if it’s her? My sister?”

“Stop, Gabriella. I don’t even know how to comprehend that right now. You told me there was no one but you.”

“Why did I tell you that? Why, Paxton?”

“I don’t want to talk about this around the girls. Talk about something else.”

Defeated air fell from my lungs. Another puzzle piece that didn’t fit. That didn’t make a bit of sense.

“I’m going to shower,” I said with a heavy heart. I was exhausted, and my head hurt. Maybe I would take one of my pain pills and knock myself out. Maybe it would keep me from remembering the next piece.