34. Caleb
CALEB
Iwalked toward the car feeling overheated despite the cool evening air.
God, I did not want to leave.
I had seen it in Jiya’s eyes too.
Neither of us had said anything, but I knew the truth all the same.
I wanted more than just to stay the night. I wanted to touch her and hold her and kiss her. I wanted to make love to her again, to lose myself in her… but I could do none of those things.
Tatiana was away for the weekend at her bachelorette party with her friends.
Earlier that afternoon, during lunch at my parents’ house, my mother had looked at me across the table while all my siblings and their families sat around us.
“Where are you heading?” she had asked.
“I’m going to the Island to see my friend and relax for the weekend,” I had replied casually, even though tension had already started coiling inside my chest.
“Is Greg going with you?” Sophia had asked, narrowing her eyes.
“No. He’s got family plans.”
No further questions followed.
I hated lying to my family.
Their trust had always mattered to me, yet here I was returning to the woman I had spent years convincing myself I hated. A woman tied to some of the worst memories of my life.
And somehow, none of it stopped me from going back to her.
Standing beside the car, I glanced back toward the house one last time.
Jiya remained at the front door, framed by the soft light spilling from the house behind her.
Her legs were bare beneath the hem of her white shorts, and the mustard-yellow blouse she wore contrasted gently against her skin.
Her injured arm remained secured in the sling, a reminder of how close I had come to losing her only days earlier.
Neither of us moved.
Was she waiting for me to leave?
Or hoping I would come back?
I licked my lips slowly, my gaze fixed on her, before I closed my eyes and forced myself to breathe.
I needed distance before my restraint crumbled completely.
I got into the car, started the engine, and pulled away from the curb, heading toward the hotel as my thoughts continued to churn.
Streetlights blurred past the window.
Every mile that separated me from her felt like both relief and regret, as though I was running from something I desperately wanted to return to.
When I finally reached the hotel, I walked into my room and closed the door behind me. I sat down on the edge of the bed, leaning forward with my elbows resting on my knees, staring at the floor.
I found myself debating the same question over and over again.
Should I leave?
Or should I stay?
Within minutes after Jiya texted me, she and the children arrived at the hotel and parked in the visitor lot.
I watched through the glass doors of the restaurant as they stepped out of the car.
Emma held Jiya's hand with one hand and clutched Mia against her chest with the other, walking close to her side, while Geeta held Lucas's hand. They entered the hotel lobby together and headed straight toward the restaurant.
I stood up from my chair when I spotted them.
Trying to appear relaxed in shorts and a T-shirt did nothing to steady my pulse, which quickened the second I laid eyes on Jiya.
She looked beautiful, wearing a floral, ankle-length sundress and a fedora hat that shaded her face from the morning sun, her arm still secured in a sling.
The memory of the accident flashed briefly through my mind, making my hands clench into fists. Gratitude followed quickly behind it, because she was alive and walking toward me.
“Good morning,” I said, smiling as the children ran toward me.
“Caleb!” Lucas shouted, throwing his arms around me.
Emma followed close behind, her small face lighting up as she reached for me.
I bent down and hugged them both.
Then I straightened and turned toward Jiya.
Without thinking, I leaned forward and kissed her gently on the cheek.
The contact lasted only a second, yet it felt electric, as though a current had passed between us.
My heart thumped wildly.
The gesture felt far too natural for something I had sworn would never happen again.
She did not say anything, but her wide eyes said it all.
She looked as though she wanted to speak, but probably pushed the thought aside because the children were standing right there between us.
Seeing her filled me with a surge of energy that chased away the fatigue from the night before, making me feel fully awake.
I needed to keep my impulses in check and not let desire cloud my judgment.
I helped lift Emma into her highchair.
Then I reached for Lucas’s hand, needing to put some space between Jiya and me. “Come on,” I said. “Let’s go see what they have.”
Pointing out the different dishes available, he chose what he wanted.
Meanwhile, Geeta guided Jiya to the counter and helped gather breakfast for herself, Jiya, and Emma.
Soon, plates filled with food covered the table, and the smell of fresh coffee, toast, eggs, and fruit surrounded us.
Lucas looked around the restaurant with wide eyes. “We’ve never been to a buffet before,” he admitted, reaching for another piece of toast.
“You can eat anything you want here,” I told him with a smile.
Emma gasped. “Even dessert for bweakfast?”
A laugh escaped me. “I think your Mama might stop you before that happens.”
“Mama always says vegetables first,” Lucas said.
Emma sighed loudly and slumped back in her chair. “Mama ruins evwything.”
The table erupted into laughter while Jiya shook her head.
We enjoyed breakfast together while the children chatted happily between bites.
Afterward, we gathered our things and headed outside.
I grabbed the car keys, glancing at Jiya briefly to make sure she was comfortable before leading everyone out.
Geeta mentioned she had errands to run and would meet friends before joining us back at the house that evening.
The children climbed into the car, buzzing excitedly about animals and tractors while I pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward the farm.
The second the large wooden sign came into view, they squealed, their laughter filling the car and drawing an effortless smile from me.
After finding a parking spot, we stepped out and walked to the entrance together.
“Welcome to Kinard Farms,” the owner greeted us warmly. He was a man in his late sixties with twinkling blue eyes and a welcoming smile. “My name is Jeffrey Kinard, and this is my wife, Rita. How are we today?”
“Excited!” Lucas bounced on the balls of his feet.
“I see pigs!” Emma shouted, pointing eagerly toward the barn.
Jeffrey chuckled at their enthusiasm.
“Fantastic. Gilbert will be your guide and photographer. The farmer’s market is at the end of the tour, and lunch will be served by 1 p.m.” He gestured for us to follow him inside. “Have a great time!”
I reached down and took Lucas’s hand, his small fingers curling around mine, while Jiya held Emma’s hand as we walked together toward the animal enclosures.
The children’s giggles echoed through the open fields as they pointed excitedly at cows, pigs, and sheep before running after chickens that scattered wildly across the yard.
They were having the time of their lives, and to my surprise, I realized that I was enjoying it just as much.
I found myself taking photo after photo of the children, capturing their wide smiles and bright eyes, and then, almost without thinking, I turned the camera toward Jiya.
I snapped several photos of her as she laughed with them, some she noticed and teased me about, and others she remained completely unaware of.
She was an incredible mother. There was no doubt about it.
I had seen how wonderful she was with Lucas back when we were dating, but now I could see the same tenderness, the same patience, and the same fierce love reflected in the way she cared for Emma.
“Time for the tractor ride,” Gilbert called out cheerfully.
I picked up Lucas first, lifting him easily and placing him securely on the tractor seat. Then I reached for Emma and settled her beside him, making sure both of them were comfortable and safe.
Jiya stepped closer and checked on them.
As she turned to step back, I moved behind her.
“Now, your turn,” I said.
Before she could protest, my hands were already on her waist. I bent my knees slightly and lifted her gently, supporting her weight with ease. Her body leaned into mine, and her hair slipped forward, brushing against my face like silk.
Our faces ended up only inches apart.
The morning sunlight warmed her skin as I lifted her, and the soft floral scent of her shampoo wrapped around me instantly.
God, she still smells incredible.
Her breath brushed my cheek as our faces hovered dangerously close, the world narrowing down to that single heartbeat we shared, and for one reckless second, I wanted to pull her closer and forget every promise waiting for me beyond that farm.
But I couldn’t.
Carefully, I placed her beside the children on the tractor.
She let out a small squeal, but I caught the brief wince that followed when her arm shifted.
Guilt hit me instantly.
"Sorry," I said.
"I'm okay," she assured me.
The children burst into laughter.
A soft blush spread across her cheeks, colouring her warm skin as she lowered her chin.
And God help me, that simple reaction made her even more beautiful. It took every ounce of restraint not to pull her into my arms and kiss her right there.
Instead, I forced myself to step back, even though every instinct inside me wanted to stay close to her. My hands still burned from the feel of her waist beneath my palms, and the soft floral scent of her shampoo lingered around me like a dangerous temptation.
She glanced up at me shyly beneath lowered lashes, her cheeks still flushed pink, and my chest tightened painfully. God, I had missed this. Missed her. Missed the way she could undo me with the smallest smile or faintest blush.
For one reckless second, standing there beneath the warm morning sun with the children laughing beside us, it felt terrifyingly easy to imagine this as our life.
With everyone seated, the tractor began moving uphill, rumbling along the dirt path.
We were soon greeted by a group of donkeys lazily enjoying their day.
I helped Lucas climb down and handed him a carrot.
“Here, buddy, hold the carrot like this,” I said, guiding his small hand into position.
The donkey gently nibbled the carrot from his open palm, and Lucas’s eyes widened.
“So wet,” he giggled.
Another donkey stretched its head toward Emma, who held out a piece of bread with fearless enthusiasm.
“Mama, he’s licking my hand,” she squealed, laughing uncontrollably.
The rest of the day passed with picking fresh fruit straight from the trees, buying vegetables from the market, and later sitting down together to enjoy a delicious lunch prepared by the farm owners.
I had never felt this kind of peace before.
Watching Jiya and the children laugh beneath the afternoon sun made something inside me feel whole in a way I could not explain.
The letter still sat folded inside my wallet, tucked away but never forgotten.
A reminder that none of this should have felt so easy.
For the first time, I found myself questioning everything.
My wedding.
Tatiana.
The future I had spent months planning.
Because sitting here with Jiya and the children felt more natural than anything else in my life.
I lifted my gaze and looked across the table at each of them.
At Lucas, who was laughing with juice smeared across his chin.
At Emma, who was swinging her legs happily beneath the chair.
At Jiya, whose smile lit up the entire space around her.
A deep longing took root inside my chest.
I wanted this.
Them.