Country in the City; Book One

Chapter 19 ~ Departure

Michael's P.O.V.

Morning is now here and I'm on my way to Abigail's house. I can't help wondering what she thinks about her kids and how they have recently started calling me, daddy. I'm so happy that her twins are accepting me as their father. Now we just need to figure out how to tell them.
I arrive at Abigail's parents house and walk up to the door. Today is the day we have to go back to school. Abigail got her car fixed up and it has finally made it back to her just in time to leave. I'm going to follow her back just in case it doesn't make it. This way she won't be stranded again.
Seconds after I knock on the door, Kayleigh comes bursting through it and jumps into my arms. "Daddy! Your here."
I wasn't expecting her to come jumping through the door since it's seven in the morning. "Is mommy up?"
"Yeah. Mommy packing." Kayleigh tells me scrunching her nose.
"Let's go see her." I say as we walk through the dinning room, down the hall and to their bedroom. I knock on the closed door.
After hearing a, "Come in." I open the door. Stunned to see Abigail wearing a red riding outfit and Kyle wearing a blue one. "Morning Michael. Kayleigh come here. We need to get you dressed."
"Did I miss something? I thought we were, ya know, heading to that place." I say trying to say going back to school with out actually saying it in case she hasn't told the twins yet.
"We are, I just thought that we should go on a ride as a family." As a family. This is real. "Here, I got you something." She hands me a stack of blue cloth. "It's your own riding outfit. I'm sure you have one at your house but this one can stay here. Now the boys can match and the girls can match. I had to guess your size. Go try it on."
I head into the bathroom and slide the outfit on. It's a little tight but it all fit. I walk back into her room and Abigail is strapping the helmets onto both of them careful about Kyle's breathing tube. When she sees me she starts giggling. "What?" I ask her, melting inside though. Her giggle is too cute, but she doesn't giggle often.
"It's a little tight on you."
"It still works though. How'd you know my size?"
"I guessed." She says simply. "You ready to get this show on the road?"
"Are you sure this is a good idea to do with his breathing tubes?"
"He'll be fine, we just have to be careful. Now which one do you want to take?"
"I'd like to take Kyle again... If it's okay with you." I tell her.
"Of course. Just be really careful."
Once we got both quads out, we hit the trails. This time,  took Abigail's dads quad so that there is more room to keep Kyle's pump. Abigail took her own quad out. I'm cautious to keep Kyle on the seat with me, and to not lose his pump that we strapped next to my feet. We ended up going to the same place as last time. I can tell that Abigail has noticed how this place effects me. She's being respectful and not saying anything though. While Kayleigh and Kyle are playing next to the waterfall, I pull her aside.
"What do you need?" She asks innocently.
"I can tell that you've noticed." I tell her.
"Okay, want to tell me what it's about then?"
"I have a friend that owns this land."
"Do you just have friends that own mile and miles of beautiful property?"
"Sorta. We used to go hunting, but then I came across this beautiful place. I came here every time I needed to blow off some steam. About four years ago, Machelle and I got into a fight, I came up here to try and calm down and you know what I saw?"
"What?"
"The most beautiful girl I have ever seen," Abigail looks down in disappointment. "With two tiny infants. Probably both only a month to two months old."
She looks back up. "That was two weeks after Kyle got released from the hospital. I came up here to pray, and decided to take my babies with me to have some alone time with just me, my twins, and God. What all did you see?"
"I saw a very beautiful and proud mama." This made her smile.
She grabs my hand and says, "Come on. I think there's something we need to say."
I follow her back around the corner to where the twins are seated. "Kyle, Kayleigh, there's something we need to tell you." She pauses and looks up at me. I smile encouragingly at her and she grips my hand tighter as she continues. "You know how you two have always asked me who your real father is?" They both nod. "You know how I've been dating Michael?" They nod again. "Well we have recently found out that Michael is your real father."
The both grin. "I know mommy." Kayleigh tells me.
"You know?" I question.
"Yeah." Kyle says like there's no confusion.
"How'd you know?" Abigail asks.
"He looks like a daddy." Kayleigh says simply. Abigail and I can't hold our laughter in.
"He acts like a daddy too." Kyle adds in.
After playing with the twins for a while, we go back to the house and load all of Abigail's luggage into her car. Then we go to say our good byes.
"Kayleigh, Kyle, we have to go back to..." Abigail starts.
"Our school now." I finish for her.
"But mommy and daddy, I don't want you to go!" Kyle wails.
"I'll be back in five days." Abigail says encouragingly.
"Will daddy come back too?" he asks with big hope filled eyes.
Abigail looks up at me. "Of course I will." I promise him.
Kayleigh takes off running out the door with tears streaming down her face. Abigail and I look at each other. "Stay here with Kyle, I'll go after her." I shout to them as I run off after her. She is only four, but she is extremely fast for her age. She has made it across the mini field and into the woods. I sprint after her and when I hit the woods I stop to listen. I hear that she's really close so I walk slowly now. I find her crouched down next to a tree. I bend down and scoop her up. She struggles against me but I hold her firmly.
She stops fighting and sobs, "Why do you h-have to go-o?"
"We have to go to school, you know that. Now why don't you tell me, why did you run?"
"I want you to stay here daddy!" She discreetly cries into my shoulder. My heart melts with every word she cries. Especially that she is calling me daddy.
"I know princess, but mommy and daddy have to go. We'll be back in five days. Can you hold off until then?"
"No!"
I start walking back towards the house. "Why don't we get a calendar and you and Kyle can take turns crossing out the days each night, then you can see how many days are left until mommy and I return. How does that sound?"
"Can I have a puppy calendar?" She asks finally looking up at me with her tear filled eyes.
"Of course you can princess."
I walk back through the door holding Kayleigh in my arms with her face buried in my shirt once again. I can tell that Abigail is melting at the sight of this. I take Kayleigh into her room and lay her down on her bed. She drifted asleep as we walked back to the house. I took off her riding outfit off and put her into some cozy clothes before I tuck her into her bed for a nap. "I love you." I kiss Kayleigh on her forehead and stand up to admire my little girl.
Abigail wraps her arms around me from behind. "Looks like someone was tired."
"Yeah," I sigh. I turn around, hug Abigail back and say, "Let me get changed and then were outta here."
I go to change and when I come out, I go up to Kyle. "Bye little one."
"I'm gonna miss you daddy." He says with a frown.
"I'm going miss you too." I say as I hug him tightly.

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"I will rejoice and be glad in Your steadfast love, because You have seen my affliction; You have known the distress of my soul, and You have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a broad place."
~ Psalm 31:7-8