Second Chance

Innocence and Pride

Luke:

I picked the two kids up and took them to their room. Clarity and Jordon were crying so bad. I panicked seeing them like this and started racking my brains on how to comfort the kids.

I seriously debated talking to Mercy about this first but soon cancelled the idea as her tearful eyes came to my view again. My woman was already so sad. If she had to go through her children's pain at the same time. It would be horrible.

How badly I wished at this time to take away all her pain and leave only happiness behind. But first I needed to comfort my kids.

"Sweethearts, don't cry. It hurts dad to see you crying." I comforted.

"But the bad woman made mom cry. Why did she make mom cry? Mom never cries but she made her cry." Clarity said in between her sobs.

"I'm going to tie crackers on her hairs and then set it off. Then she would be a phoney bad woman." Jordan said with anger.

"Huh?" Luke said bewildered. "Why are you guys crying again?"

"Because the bad woman made mom cry. Weren't you there too dad." Jordan said feeling his father was a fool. "How could you let that bad woman make mom cry dad? Grandpa said men should treat their wives and sisters as princess and never let them cry. But you still let your wife cry." He said again angrily.

What? "I thought you were angry about the adoption part." Luke replied.

"We'll talk about the extra Mac and cheese later dad. This is a serious matter." Clarity scolded seriously like a principle of a school.

"Wha… where did Mac and Cheese come from?" I asked not understanding how the mind of the two toddlers worked.

"Mom is adopted so she gets more Mac and cheese than uncle Ralf. Therefore In future we too will get more Mac and cheese than our younger siblings. Duh." Jordan said with attitude.

"Hahaha." A crackle was heard from the door and Cindy entered the room. "More Mac and cheese. Aren't you afraid that your mother will not love you because you are adopted?" She asked.

"Mom is also adopted. Grandma still loves her more than uncle Ralf. So in future, mom will also love us more than she loves our younger siblings." Jordon replied seriously.

"And besides, mom always says, Grandma and Grandpa adopted her because they wanted her. So she too adopted us because she wanted us. No matter what, in future we will be her favourite." Clarity added wiping her eyes.

I gave a small smile. At the same time I felt thankful that Mercy was so positive about her adoption. It was her influence that the kids didn't feel wronged when they knew that they were adopted. Instead it wasn't a big deal for them.

"But…" Cindy hesitated but still asked the question that had been irking her since the start of this sham of a marriage. "But what about your biological mom. Now that you know that she's your adopted mom, don't you wanna know about your biological mom?"

Honestly this girl. Can't she ever understand what to ask and when to ask?

I glared at my sister of asking such a question at this sensitive time. My children weren't traumatized by the fact that they are adopted. She had to ask the question that will make them ponder about this matter more in depth. To my surprise though, the kids replied something's completely out of my expectations.

"Why would we wanna know her?" Clarity replied with a frown.

"Because she is your biological mom." Cindy replied.

"Moms take care of children. They study with them, play with them, have fun with them. Our mom did it for us. Why would we wanna know someone who didn't?" Clarity asked.

"Since she didn't want us, why should we ask about her?" Jordon added.

What? My eyes widened.

It was like I was punched with a sudden realisation as I looked at his children's innocent face and I finally understood why it didn't really matter to them. Apart from Mercy's approach towards her adoption, there was another reason the kids didn't think too much about it. And the reason was quite obvious.

Pride and ego.

Both me and Mercy are egoistic and arrogant people. We always make sure to fulfill all our responsibilities. If someone loves us, we return their love with our own love. If someone does us a favour, they return it interest. But the only problem is that the first step should be taken from the other side.

If someone doesn't care about us or betray them, even if the person is our blood relative, we won't give a damn. Both me and Mercy are quite similar in this case. And this trait is already subconsciously embedded in our children. Children learn everything from their parents. Each and every bit of our actions, no matter how small it is, make the kids. Since Chastity left them, they won't give a damn about her.

They don't know that it's their pride, their ego that is making them do this. But they are doing it. Chastity may be their blood mother, but the only person they would give a damn about is the person who invested her emotions in them, Mercy.

I had a complicated feeling. I was happy that they took it so well. But I didn't know if it was good thing or bad. I am a father and husband. And my priority would always be Mercy and the kids. I can never keep one above another.

So on one hand I felt happy that the kids only accepted Mercy as their mother. On the other hand he was worried if it was good or a bad thing.

But Mercy will know what to do about this. When it comes to kids, she is always the wisest person that there is. Mercy is selfish and manipulative to the core. But when it comes to the kids, she is the most selfless woman that there is. And I love her so much for that.

Both her selfishness and selflessness, her greed and her sacrifice, her beauty and her flaws. I love them all. But it took me too fucking long to understand it.