“You… you wouldn’t,” she whispered, her hands shaking so badly she dropped her expensive handbag onto the floor.
“Try us,” I said, stepping forward, shielding my sisters entirely from her view. “You left them because you thought they were a burden. I kept them because they are my heart. You have exactly thirty seconds to pick up your bags and leave. If I see you near their school, or near this building again, Marcus files the paperwork.”
Without another word, Eleanor scrambled to pick up her purse. She didn’t look at the twins. She didn’t look at the piles of luxury gifts she had brought to buy them. She turned on her expensive heels and fled down the hallway, the slamming of the apartment door echoing through the quiet complex.
The room fell silent again, but the heavy, suffocating weight was gone.
I dropped to my knees, and instantly, two pairs of small arms wrapped tightly around my neck. Lily and Maya buried their faces into my chest, sobbing out their relief.
