Juwon stayed downstairs while Gini remained upstairs. He hadn't returned to the bedroom since she laughed in his face last night. She was so bold and unapologetic. She thought it was funny that he'd told her to call Bruce that he wasn't getting his money. He had gone on a run again that morning. He had stopped exercising since Gini walked back into his life and now he was back at it. That was his coping mechanism and he needed to exhaust himself to stop him from thinking about Gini.

He had been waiting for her to explain herself. She was yet to say her side of the story. He was going to even take an obvious lie. She could deny it and make him the crazy one, any narrative at all would help. He really needed her to say something.

He was worried about her too. He couldn't help himself. She was a little devil but he still loved her. He should have probably sat her down and told her he was just desperate for her love. Desperate attempt but so worth it. If she could forget Bruce and the idea of taking his money, they could really work out.

Juwon got up from the sofa when he heard the bell ring. He switched his TV to the CCTV and saw Gini's sister with her kids at the gate. He had completely forgotten that they were expecting guests. He hadn't even had a shower yet. Juwon rushed upstairs and knocked on the bedroom door. He needed Gini to receive her visitors while he jumped into the bathroom. He opened the door and saw her buried under a heap of duvet.

"Birdie?"

She peeked at him and sat up. "What do you want?"

"Your sister is at the gate and she brought her kids."

Gini started laughing again. He hated that her go-to response to everything he said was laughter.

"What's so funny?"

Gini went back under the duvet and Juwon left the room. He ran down the stairs and went outside to the gate. He had barely opened the gate when three boys raced passed him.

"Hey!" their mother shouted but they were out of hearing distance. "I'm sorry for their attitude."

"No, it's fine." Juwon hugged her then led her in. "What's your name?"

"Gini never told you?"

"Maybe she did..." He couldn't remember.

"Kess."

"She showed me your video the other day," he said to break the ice.

Kess laughed. "Of course, I just knew she would."

They got inside the house and Juwon saw the boys sitting patiently on the sofa.

"Mama, where's Gini?" one of the boys asked.

The voice woke something inside of him, he felt like he was hearing his dad speak. Juwon looked over at the boys... like really looked and something was horribly wrong. It was as if he was looking at the reflections of younger versions of himself.

"He looks like you, Taye," one of them said.

"Maybe because he's our dad, dumbo."

"Don't call me dumb."

"Where's Gini?"

"Can he talk?"

"Did you do something to Gini?"

"Gini!"

"Mama, where's Gini?"

"J?" Kess called.

Juwon blinked and looked at Kess. He was creeped out. Maybe, he had looked at the boys too fast. He looked back at the kids and they were now staring at him like he was a moron.

"J, is Gini here?"

He rubbed his head then nodded. "I'll go get her."

Juwon went up the stairs and opened the bedroom door. He pulled the duvet off Gini and she struggled to get it back.

"Birdie, what's happening?" he asked.

"Congrats, you have three kids," Gini said casually.

"That's not possible. We were fourteen. I-I- mean, we used protection."

"Did you? I mean, I wouldn't know since I was so busy planning on how to accuse you of rape. No, I think I was thinking of how much my dad would get your land."

"Stop saying that."

"I need to go see my kids. Opps, our kids." Gini said tartly then left the room.

"What the fuck is happening?" he asked the empty room.

Juwon left the room and joined the guests. The boys were playing with Gini, hugging and pecking her and she was giggling as they attacked her.

Roman had told him the kids were Kess'. He had even heard them call her mama.

"Why do they call you mama?" Juwon couldn't stop himself from asking Kess.

"Everyone does, you can too. Calling me Kess feels really weird."

Not as weird as the kids calling her Mama, he thought.

"So, you're our dad." One of the boys eyed him. "Your house is cool."

"Thanks," he said like he was talking to strangers and not his kids. Technically, they were strangers.

Gini went up the stairs with her sister. She didn't say any departing words to him, and he was going to have to figure everything out on his own. The boys were looking at him waiting on his next move and he was hoping they suggested something.

"Do you want to see the house?"

"Yes."

"Not yet."

"Yes, we want to see the house."

Juwon looked at the three boys and saw one of them eyeing him suspiciously.

"Can you guys introduce yourselves? I can't quite tell you apart and I need a name to faces that look like my reflection."

"You first."

"That's fair. I'm Juwon, your mom calls me J."

"Nice name." They all laughed at that.

"I'm Taye, the smart one." The two other boys guffawed then calmed down. "This is Kenny, the impatient one and that's Idowu, the talented one." Taye pointed at the two other boys.

"We are all talented. I can dance like Gini and I sing also," Kenny said.

"We can all sing and dance actually. We are going to create a boy band when we're fifteen," Idowu said.

"That's correct. Do you know Kenny wants to be the lead? I came out of the womb first so I think I should lead."

"What do you think, mister?"

"You can call me dad and choosing the lead is your decision to make, all three of you."

"Do you love Gini or are you just using her?" Kenny asked.

"I love her."

"Then why didn't you kiss her when you came downstairs."

"I was being respectful."

"Duh."

"How old are you boys?"

"Ten, you?" Idowu asked.

"Same age as your mom."

The age made sense to him. "I could show you the house now."

"Do we like him? You know we have to protect Gini first." Taye asked the rest as they stood.

"Kinda. He's cool."

"I'm hungry."

Juwon couldn't tell them apart anymore as they walked towards the door. They were similar in height and had no obvious differences.

"How do I tell you apart?"

"You can't."

Juwon guessed that was Kenny that spoke. He enjoyed giving him a hard time.

"Taye is skinnier, Idowu is taller and Kenny is uglier."

"Who's speaking right now?"

"Kenny," they all said and started laughing.

Juwon couldn't remember if he was this silly and playful when he was ten. "Alright." Gini was the only one that could give him the best answer and she wasn't speaking with him.

"Is your surname also Oni?" one of them asked.

"Yea." Juwon was happy Gini made them use his surname.

The boys followed him out and he took them to the swimming pool. They marveled as they sat inside the gazebo.

"Your house is so big. Is this where we'll be living now?"

"That's up to your mom."

"She loves you so she'll say yes."

Juwon was trying so hard to differentiate the boys. The matching outfits they were wearing wasn't helping matters. He knew there was a gentle one and that was Idowu. Kenny liked to pull his strings and Taye was overtly protective of his mother.

"Can we see more of the house, J?"

"You can call me Dad, Taye."

"That's Taye, I'm Idowu," he corrected.

"Where have you been all these years?"

"Gini said he didn't know about us. Stop grilling him, Kenny."

"Mind your business, Taye."

"I'm going to tell Gini then."

"You tell Gini everything."

Juwon watched as they made fun of each other.

"Are you all done?" he asked when they stopped talking.

"I love you," the boys said together. They hugged each other and looked at him. "We are done now."

"Great, time to eat."

They all went back in and he showed them the theater room before going to the kitchen. He was almost done with the pasta he was making when Gini joined him in the kitchen.

"Mama is leaving."

"Why? I thought she was staying over."

"She isn't."

"Did you tell her anything?" Juwon was asking about what was going on between them.

"The kids are staying. Do you want them to be good kids also?"

"Birdie-"

"Gini. Call me Gini, husband."

He grabbed her arm as she turned to leave. "Birdie, what's with the attitude?" She looked away. "You want me to apologize when I was the one being used?"

"You are entitled to your attitude and so am I. You can go on and on about how much you hate me but it's too much for me to hate you in return?"

He let go of her and went to tell her sister goodbye. The boys were hugging Mama when he got to the living room.

"Take care of Gini," she asked of them.

"When are you coming back?" one of the boys asked.

"Soon."

Juwon hugged her and they all waved as she walked away. He shut the door and returned to the kitchen. Gini joined him and got plates from the cabinet.

"I just need you to be cordial. I don't want my kids knowing how much you hate me."

She walked out of the kitchen before he could reply her. Gini was playing mind games with him and he wasn't going to apologize no matter how far she took her tricks.