Mikayla woke up, feeling Justin’s arm wrapped around her. She smiled, remembering the sex from the night before.  It had been passionate, yet tender, her apology for sleeping with JC.  

She felt Justin tighten his hold on her body, shifting to feel him ready to go.  “Good morning,” she cooed. 

“Mmmm, yeah,” he smiled sleepily. “I love you.”

“I love you too.  After yesterday, I…”

“It happened. I knew it would eventually. I’m just glad you’re not walking away from me, our life together.”

“We’re having a baby.  Little Silas is going to be so loved.”

“We’re telling everyone this weekend?” Justin asked. 

“Yeah.  Is it bad I want JC to be there?  He finds out with everyone else?”

“It’s not a great idea, no. I mean, he’s back in our lives, wanting you back in his…”

“I think we can make this work, Justin…”

“I know. I just… let’s have him over tonight for dinner. Hash things out together, tell him you can’t leave me, and why, but that he can have you too.  Right now though, I’m glad I have you all to myself…”

“The kids will be up soon…”

“It’s a school day, Jackie can help them. Your alarm hasn’t even gone off yet, I think we’ll be fine.”

On cue, her alarm on her phone went off, Justin cursing his luck. 

Mikayla turned to face him, giving him a quick kiss.  “Shower sex?”

“I’ll take it.  I’ll try to be quick so you’re not late dropping them off before work.”

“It’s preschool and I make my own schedule, it’s fine. If we’re late because I had a little shower session with my husband, who would know? Just us…” She kissed him, tugging his bottom lip with her teeth. “Let’s go, before the kids wake up.”

They were both still naked from the night before, making the next parts easy.  Mikayla turned on the shower, Justin kissing her as they waited for the water to warm up.  They walked into the shower, kissing under the spray, hands wandering over each other’s bodies.  

Justin pressed her against the wall, his body ready.  “You ready baby?” he asked.

“Yes… fuck me, Justin…”

He kissed her deeply, his hand pulling her thighs up to wrap around him, rolling his hips to enter her, both groaning in each other’s mouths.  His pace was firm and even, gasps of air choking Mikayla in pleasure.  She was his, no matter what JC said or did.  Whatever role he had in their lives now wouldn’t take that away from Justin.  

He was going to be a dad, his own flesh and blood, and was so thankful that Mikayla wasn’t letting JC get in the middle of that.  He had raised JC’s kids, but he was damned if he was going to let JC raise his without him.  He knew that wouldn’t have happened like that, being cut off from this new baby, but that’s how it had been with the twins, so it was somewhere in the back of his mind.

Very much at the forefront was the passion and pleasure he was getting from and giving to Mikayla.  He knew he had to be quick, get her and the kids off to school and work, not feeling regret about it not lasting long.  He knew she enjoyed it nonetheless.

A smile spread across her face, her lips parted and she gasped for air.  “God… Justin…”

“Don’t say anything, baby.  Let go…”

She kissed him deeply, her body caving in around him, Justin thankful for the wall behind her to help keep her up as she rode her wave.  Justin himself was barely able to stand, pressing her firmer into the wall as he rode out his release.

He carefully washed her, turning the hot moment into something more intimate before she left for the day.  She kissed him before getting out to start getting ready, Justin washing himself as she got ready in the bathroom.

“Would tomorrow night work?” Mikayla asked.

“For what?”

“To have JC over?  At least clear the air a little bit.  Maybe not go over everything, but let him meet the kids, tell him he’s their dad, and that we’re pregnant.”

“He’s gonna need a lot of alcohol first…” Justin laughed, the sound bouncing off the walls.  

“I’m sure.  I think we all will, well, except me…”

“A little wine won’t hurt, take the edge off…”

“Thankfully that’ll be tomorrow, if he’s free.  We’ll offer coming to stuff this weekend, if he wants.  It’s really up to him how involved he wants to be in everything.”

“How do you think he’ll react, finding out he’s been a dad this whole time?” Justin wondered as he stepped out of the shower.

“I expect stammering, disbelief, maybe anger at one or both of us for not telling him sooner.”

“We’ve tried, over and over.  It needed to come from you, and the timing was never right, not after you went to talk to him.  Once he deleted that voicemail, that was it.”

“I know.  I still can’t thank you enough for agreeing to all of this.  Marrying me, taking on his kids…”

“Now we’re having one of our own.  Is it bad I want him to look like you, so people won’t automatically try and put him on my path, be another me?  Let him choose what he wants to do.  I feel like if he’s my mini me, there’s gonna be a lot of pressure.”

“There’s no pressure on the twins…  If fans and other people outside our main circle wanna put that pressure on, he’s never going to feel it.”

“When he’s older, at school.  Maybe the kids will say things, I don’t know.  You’re right, though.  The twins don’t get any of that, maybe they’re too young for that yet.”

She finished getting ready, smiling as Justin dried himself off, otherwise getting ready naked. She stepped towards him, pulling him into her arms, one hand grabbing his ass. “Save that for tonight…”

“Mmmm, noted,” he said, kissing her deeply. “You better go check on the kids before I make you all really late with a round two…”

“Like I said, save that for tonight. I love you, Justin.”

“I love you too, Kay.”

Mikayla went downstairs to the kitchen, Jackie already having the twins eating breakfast. They had their pajama tops over their uniforms just in case they made a mess, pulling them off one they finished eating. 

“Alright, let’s get you two to school and then Mommy will head to work!” Mikayla chirped. Justin came downstairs to get his morning hugs and kisses, sending them on their way. 

Mikayla was dropping off the kids, Maribel smiling at them.  “Remember, Mom, tomorrow is our Mother’s Day muffins celebration.  It’ll be first thing in the morning, so come ready for some refreshments and cute activities.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Mikala smiled.  “I remember seeing a couple when I was teaching, so I’m looking forward to being on the mom end this year.”

She hugged and kissed the twins goodbye, getting in her car.  She thought about JC, pulling out her phone.

I still need time to think, but I also can’t stop thinking about yesterday.  Just know I love you, no matter what I decide.

She knew in her heart she couldn’t have with JC what she had with Justin, too much had happened.  But she knew there was still something there, and she couldn’t deny it anymore.

Her phone rang, Candace calling. “Hi Candace, everything ok?”

“Yes.  Can I have you go to one of our school sites?  I know you’ve been wanting to get back into teaching, missing it a bit, and one of the music teachers called out sick.  Is there any way you could cover?  I know they’re practicing for their spring musicals, but I have no doubts you could handle it.”

“Sure, just send me the address.  I’ll head over right now.”

Candace sent her the address, Mikayla programming it into her GPS.  She sent one more text before leaving the parking lot.

Hey babe, filling in for a sick teacher today.  Excited to be back at the piano teaching, even for a day.  Love you, I’ll see you when I get home.

She drove off towards the school, a warmth spreading through her at being in front of a class again, realizing she needed to play the piano more at home, even for fun with the twins or Justin.

She got caught up in traffic in the school parking lot, the older kids being dropped off first. She finally made it out of the parking lot and on her way.  

She approached the light at La Cienega, being first at the light to turn left. She went to grab her little car container of gum, when it slipped out of her hand.  She leaned over the passenger seat to greet it, the light turning green. 

The car behind her honked, Mikayla quickly sitting up and entering the intersection. She saw a truck speeding down La Cienega, stopping her car to make sure the car stopped. Her eyes widened as the car behind her honked again, but the truck blew through the light. 

If I’d gone when the light turned, that truck would’ve hit me.  “Thanks, gum,” she said aloud as she turned once it was safe to do so. 

She made it to the school, one of their newer locations, checking into the office. The principal gave her the schedule for the day, along with where their auditorium was.  She had some time that she found the binders she needed for her first set in the bookshelf by the stage, going over notes for the songs in advance. She missed this, wondering if things were better with JC, if he would come back to the role he once had, she could go back to teaching.

She finished a class, her last class before lunch, taking a minute to relax by playing the piano for herself.  She closed her eyes and began to play, lost in the music. Her lunch was before the first lunch group of kids, so she had quiet to concentrate.

She finished playing, hearing soft clapping at the door. She smiled as she saw JC in the doorway.  “It’s like the first day we met all over again,” he sighed.

“What are you doing here?” Mikayla wondered. 

“I wanted to see you. Stopped in at corporate and Candace told me you were here.  I know you said you needed space, but I had to see you.”

She looked around. “Come with me.”  He followed her to the office similar to her own all the years ago, though slightly bigger and just for the music teacher. She closed the door behind them. 

“It’s my lunch break, so you have incredible timing.  We can go grab something, keep it professional.”

“Or I can go pick something up and we eat in here.”

“Why do I feel you already grabbed something?” Mikayla smiled. 

“Cuz you know me. After all this time, it’s like no time at all.”

“Yeah.  So… lunch?”

“I’ll be right back.”  He smiled at her, opening the door to the auditorium. 

She pulled out her phone. Hey, full disclosure- JC brought me lunch.  I promise no sex this time…

A few moments later, he phone buzzed.  If it’s not too weird, tell him I say hi. No fucking cuz it’s not your office?

That, and we haven’t discussed the ground rules for this.

Well, if you want to kiss him, I understand. I don’t need details of anything, but yeah…

I REALLY don’t deserve you.

Maybe not, but I sure as hell never deserved you, ever.

I love you.

Love you too, Kay.

“Justin?” JC asked from the doorway.

“Yeah. He says hi.”

“I’m not here to pressure you into figuring things out…”

“I know. It’s nice, this.  I missed it.  I do have one question.”

“Hmmm?”

“Why ask me to leave you a voicemail and just delete it?”

“I was upset, I figured you wanted to get back together and I needed more time.  By the time I realized the mistake I’d made, you were engaged.  It was too late.”

“Except it wasn’t.”

“I know that now.  He really tried to get us back together for a bit, didn’t he?”

“He did.  A lot happened in a short time, but that’s ancient history.”  

“If I stand any chance of there being any kind of us being together, I’m not running away, pushing you away this time. I’ve been kicking myself the last 5 years…”

“Not gonna lie, I wondered how certain things would have gone,” she sighed.

“I would’ve proposed, eventually.”

“Enough of that.  Let’s focus on the future, or at least right now.”

“So, the twins are 4?” JC asked. 

“Barb is 4 going on 14, I swear. Justin’s working on a movie, I know she’s gonna rock the red carpet like she’s the one everyone’s there to see.  Joshy, on the other hand…”

“Joshy?” JC gasped. 

“Shit, I was on autopilot… I guess this is when I tell you…”

“Tell me what? You named your son after your ex boyfriend?”

“I named him after his dad…”