Hopelessly Devoted #Wattys2014

Hopelessly Devoted - I'm Sorry

Bentley's POV

"Daddy! We've missed you!" My daughter told me.

"Are you staying?" My son asked. I looked at him, studying him. He was Aiden.

"Yes, I'm staying." I told them, still hugging them.

"You'll never leave us again?" My other son, Andrew asked.

"I might have to leave, but I'll always come back to y'all." I told them.

"Well guys, why don't we go play in the yard?" Brandon suggested to my triplets.

"No!" they all yelled.

"Come on babies, your daddy needs to talk to mommy." Hope coaxed them. They reluctantly got up and followed my brothers outside. I stood and went to the kitchen, where I had seen her go.

I stepped inside and saw her sitting at the bar, with her head in her hands. Her shoulders were softly shaking, and I knew she was crying. I took another step forward.

"Brandon," She asked, hearing my footsteps. "Why didn't you warn me..." Then she turned and saw me, shock once again covering her tear streaked face. "and you're not Brandon.."

"Nope... it seems like everytime I walk into a kitchen, you think I'm Brandon." I said trying to keep the conversation light.

"How have you been?" She asked nervously.

"I've had better days. I mean I did just find out my ex has kept my kids from me for three years." I said a tad harshly. "Why'd you do that?" I added softly.

"I didn't know what to do Bentley. I was seventeen and scared out of my mind." She said softly.

"You should have told me Layla."

"I tried!" She practically yelled.

"You should have let them tell me." I argued.

"You are not the victim here Bentley! It's just as much your fault as it is mine. You were suppose to hear it from me! How could we raise kids together if you couldn't even give me one damn minute to tell you about them."

"I'm not the victim? I've missed three years of their lived, Layla!" I snapped.

"I called you multiple times when I found out and I called you a week before I went into labor." She stated.

"You could have kept trying or you could have let my family!"

"I'm sorry Bentley! okay? I'm sorry! but I can't change what I did. I did it because I love them and I want what's best for them, I didn't do it out of hate or spite."

"But three years Layla, you let me miss three years.. and what about them? Did you ever think about how they need their daddy or how it made them feel that I wasn't here?" I asked

"I was trying to protect them. I was scared that you would say I did it on purpose or that you wouldn't want them. I knew you would have stepped up, but I was scared you would resent them later. I did it because I was trying to be a good mother so don't you sit there and say I wasn't thinking of them! I was thinking of them then and they're all I ever think about."

"God, Layla they're my kids! My kids, my kids I don't even know!"

"I'm sorry, okay? That's all I can say to you. I'm sorry you don't know them. Im sorry you've missed out on so much.. But you're not the only one who suffered Bentley. I've been raising three kids by myself for almost four years. I got up in the middle of the night and cared for all three, by myself  for the first few months they were home, all because you couldn't answer your phone and hear me out. And before you once again point out that your family could have told you, I want you to think.. That was news I should have told you, you should have heard it from me, it was your responsibility because I gave you the opportunities to find out. It wasn't their job to step in because you let your pride get in the way." She boldly told me. I sighed.