Chapter 151: Hundred and Fifty One

I heard the soft tap of the door before I saw Jacob’s face as he walked in. He was standing there in his usual grey sweater, the one that always made him look too young to carry so many responsibilities. Noah ran ahead, squealing, “Daddy’s here!”

I froze, heart hammering, unsure how to start. Before I told Noah, I would have to tell Jacob, too. Involve him in this whole thing. What if he said no?

Jacob crouched down to Noah’s level, ruffling his hair. “Hey, champ.”

Noah grinned, completely oblivious to the tension filling the room. My throat tightened as I looked at him, my son, blissfully innocent, about to learn things that could change everything.

Once Noah had gone to grab his backpack for a planned afternoon playdate, Jacob turned to me, his face unreadable. I took a deep breath. “I need to tell you something… something about Declan’s mom.”

Jacob raised an eyebrow but stayed silent. “Go on.”

“She knows… everything,” I said, my voice trembling despite my attempt at calm. “She knows about Noah, about… Declan being his father.”

Jacob’s face didn’t change. He didn’t explode, didn’t clench his jaw. He simply nodded once, slow and deliberate. “And?”

I blinked, taken aback. “And I thought… I thought she’d lose it. That she’d come after me, after Noah. That she’d,” My voice caught. “I didn’t know how to protect him.”

Jacob stepped closer, placing a hand on my shoulder. “She’ll have to accept it. He’s his father. And nothing can change that. What matters is Noah.”

I stared at him, stunned. Calm. Rational. Not like the Jacob I had feared, the man who might have lashed out, screaming, asking why I’d kept this from him.

“I… I thought you’d be angry,” I admitted.

He shook his head, a small, wry smile tugging at his lips. “Angry? At you? Willow… I’ve seen too much to get angry over what’s already done. Noah’s here, and he needs us to handle this like adults. You’ve done your best, and so have I. Let’s focus on him.”

I exhaled slowly, a tension I hadn’t realized I was holding finally releasing. “You really… you’re okay with this?”

“I’m not just okay. I want to be part of his life. I always have. Nothing changes that.” His voice was firm, but there was warmth underneath it, the kind of warmth that had made me trust him for so many years, even when I internally resented how much he had stepped into our lives.

We stood there for a long momen.

“I think… I think we need to tell Noah together,” I said finally, a plan forming in my mind. “All three of us. He should hear it from us. Not overhear. Not guess.”

Jacob nodded immediately. “Agreed. And I’ll be honest with you, Wills, this scares me too. But we owe it to him. He should to know the truth from us, and no one else.”

I swallowed, feeling my chest tighten. “Okay. When should we do it?”

Jacob glanced at the clock. “Soon. Before he finds out from someone else, or hears the wrong thing. We’ll make it a calm afternoon. He’s with me tonight anyway. We can set it up so Declan’s here too.”

I nodded, already feeling the nervous energy twisting in my stomach. This was it. No more hiding. No more lies.

Later that afternoon, Declan arrived, carrying a small bag of Noah’s favorite snacks - peanut butter crackers, pecan cookies, and a chocolate bar hidden just for later. I felt my heart skip when he walked in, calm and collected. I felt peace when I saw him.

Jacob had gone to help Noah with a drawing project in the living room, giving us a moment alone. Declan turned to me, his expression soft. “You okay?”

I forced a smile. “As okay as I can be. He’s… ready, I think.”

Declan’s hand brushed mine briefly, a soft touch that sent a shiver up my spine. “We’ll do it together,” he said. “All of us.”

I nodded, trying to steady my voice. “Yes. Together.”

We walked into the living room. Noah looked up from his drawing, smiling at us. “Hey! Did you bring snacks?”

Jacob ruffled his hair again. “Always. But we have something else to talk about first, bud.”

Noah tilted his head, curiosity sparkling in his eyes. “What is it?”

I took a deep breath. “Noah, we need to tell you something important. Something about your family.”

His brows furrowed slightly. “About… what?”

Jacob crouched beside him, taking his small hands in his. “It’s about who your family is, and about people who love you very much.”

Declan knelt on the other side, giving him a reassuring smile. “Noah, you know how much I love you, right?”

Noah nodded, a little hesitant. “Yes…”

“Well,” I said, my voice trembling despite my effort to be calm, “there’s something I should have told you a long time ago. Declan… he’s your father.”

Noah’s eyes went wide, and he blinked rapidly. “Father? Like… my real daddy?”

Jacob and Declan both nodded, keeping their hands on his shoulders. “Yes, buddy. He’s your dad, and he loves you so much,” Jacob said softly.

Noah’s mouth opened, then closed. “So… I have two daddies?”

I swallowed, tears threatening to spill. “You do, sweetheart. And all of us… we all love you very much. Nothing about that changes.”

Declan reached over and ruffled his hair, smiling gently. “You have more love in your life than most kids. That’s not a bad thing.”

Noah leaned against both of us, his small frame trembling slightly as he processed everything. “But… does that mean… Mommy’s not my only Mommy?”

I shook my head, pressing a kiss to his temple. “You’ll always have me, Noah. Always. And Declan… he’s your dad too. That doesn’t take away from anything we have together.”

Jacob squeezed my shoulder, giving a small nod of reassurance. “And I’ll always be part of your life too, Noah. You’re stuck with us.”

Noah giggled softly, the tension breaking just a little. “Stuck with all of you?”

“Yes, stuck,” Declan said, grinning. “And we’re not going anywhere.”

We spent the next hour answering his questions, trying to be honest without overwhelming him. Why hadn’t I told him sooner? How did Declan feel? Could we still play soccer together? Would we still have movie nights? Each question was a small test, and with every answer, I saw his little face relax a bit more.

By the time the sun started to dip below the horizon, Noah was smiling more freely, laughing at some joke Declan made about losing to him at a game of pretend basketball. I watched him and felt a mixture of relief and exhaustion.

Jacob caught my eye across the room, and I gave him a small smile. No words were needed. We had navigated a storm that I had feared would destroy everything, and for the first time, the three of us stood together as Noah’s safe, chaotic, loving family.

Declan leaned down and whispered in my ear, “We did it.”

I nodded, pressing my hand against his. “We did. And Noah… he’s okay.”

Jacob stepped closer, resting a hand on my shoulder. “We all are. It won’t be easy from here, but at least we start from the truth now.”

I exhaled slowly, letting the weight lift a fraction. “Yes. Honesty.”

“Feels good, no? No more hiding.”

I nodded. “Yeah. Finally.”