Chapter Three

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beautybyfabiola Amidst every triumph and challenge, our unbreakable bond remains unwavering. #MyFirstborn
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"Oh snap, Fabi got money!" Jon exclaimed as they arrived at Fabiola's house.

When Sefa arrived in town, he texted Fabiola asking for her address. Initially reluctant, as she did not want him to know where she lived, Fabiola eventually relented after Sefa said he would just ask her sisters - knowing they would likely tell him. Wanting to control the situation, she gave Sefa her address herself.

"Relax, Jon," Sefa said, aware that Fabiola felt uncomfortable around Jon's energetic personality. Jon's chaotic energy tended to make Fabiola nervous, causing her to close herself off when he was around.

Jon nodded. "I'll tone it down once I get around her, I'm just excited to see the girls, you know I missed my nieces," Jon said.

Trinity shakes her head. "Jon, don't be mean to Fabiola for keeping the girls away after the breakup," Trinity told her husband.

After Sefa and Fabiola broke up, his family assumed Fabiola would still allow them access to her daughters. However, Fabiola made it clear that as an ex, she would not linger and it was best for all if they went their separate ways. Occasionally, Sefa's mother would get updates on the girls from Fabiola's mother and even send gifts, unbeknownst to Fabiola. 

Jon clicked his teeth in frustration. "I said I would be on my best behavior," he asserted.

Of all the family, Jon took the breakup between Sefa and Fabiola the hardest. Although not close with Fabiola, Jon had bonded with her daughters, who called him uncle. He missed them terribly but respected Fabiola's wish for no contact. Now, with Sefa trying to win Fabiola back, Jon saw a chance to reunite with his nieces. This time, he was not going anywhere.

"Just don't say anything that could get us kicked out before we even sit down," Sefa said as they got out of the car.

"As long as I get to see the girls, I promise to be on my best behavior," Jon said with a grin.

They walk up to the front door and Sefa rings the doorbell. After some yelling and barking of dogs, the door opens. Kassandra squeals with excitement as she leaps into Jon's arms.

Kassandra exclaimed "Uncle Jon!" as he caught her in his arms, hugging her tightly and rocking her back and forth.

"Hi, Kassa," Jon said, smiling.

Fabiola walks to the door with Kaylea, who looks confused at first. When Kaylea makes eye contact with Sefa, her confusion turns to joy. Beaming, she rushes toward Sefa with open arms. Sefa is shocked that Kaylea remembers him, considering their breakup when she was very young. But clearly, she does, as she embraces him excitedly.

"Hey, Kay," Sefa says, picking her up and returning the hug.

"Hi," Kaylea replies, smiling.

Fabiola greets Trinity with a friendly hug before greeting Sefa and Jon and inviting them into the house. Walking into the living room, Kasandra tells Jon how much she has missed him, prompting Sefa to pout slightly and ask, "What about me?"

Kassandra smiled and replied, "Of course I missed you too. I missed everyone," Kassandra twisted her lips to the side as they took a seat on the couches.

Jon held back a remark about how she would have stayed in contact with everyone if only her mother had allowed it.

Sefa sat down with Kaylea on his lap. "It's nice to see you all again," Sefa said. "How have you guys been? Did you like the birthday gifts I sent, Kassa?" Sefa asked Kassandra.

Kassandra nodded. "I loved all my gifts, thank you," Kassandra answered.

Kaylea tapped Sefa on the chest. "Where's my gifts?" Kaylea asked Sefa.

Trinity chuckled. "Don't worry, Kay, we have some gifts in the car for you," Trinity answered instead of Sefa.

Clearing her throat, Fabiola felt as though she was intruding on an intimate moment in her own home.

Despite enjoying the girls' delight in seeing Sefa and the others, Fabiola grew uneasy, wondering where this reunion would lead. "So, how long are you in town for?" Fabiola asked Sefa.

"A week. There's a family celebration, so everyone's in town for that," Sefa answered.

Trinity smiled. "You guys should come - everyone would love to see you guys again, Talisua especially," Trinity said eagerly.

Fabiola immediately began to decline the invitation, thinking it would be inappropriate to attend a family event given the terrible way things had ended between them.

"Fabi, come on, you know my family still loves you and the girls," Sefa said reassuringly. "There are no hard feelings," Sefa continued.

Fabiola tucked her bottom lip into her mouth. Fabiola was unsure whether to accept Sefa's invitation to the party, fearing his family might reject her. It had been years since she interacted with anyone from his family.

But she knew Sefa had been in another relationship that produced two sons. Now Sefa may not be with the mother of his sons anymore, but she is likely still associated with his family. Fabiola worried it would be awkward if the ex were present at the gathering.

"Don't overthink it. Just come with the girls and enjoy time with the family. You know Galina has missed you," Jon urged Fabiola.

Kassandra nudged her mother. "Please can we go," Kassandra begged her mother.

Kaylea joined in, and Jon and Trinity soon followed. Sefa chuckled at the defeated expression on Fabiola's face, knowing she wouldn't be able to say no.

Fabiola let out a huff of resignation. "Alright, we'll go - when is it?" Fabiola asked, giving in and accepting the invitation.

Sefa answered that the event would be on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at the Waltham Silver Event Center. He added that he would come pick them up, so they didn't need to worry about it.

"Yay! I can't wait to see everyone," Kassandra said.

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beautybyfabiola ⁠Cherishing these moments! ❤️ My second child, you remind me to slow down and take in my lasts with you!
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"Thanks for bringing us here," Fabiola said. "I admit I was scared for no reason - everyone has been so welcoming," Fabiola added, smiling.

"Remember I told you that the moment my family accepted you and the girls, they will love and embrace you all forever," Sefa assured her, smiling.

Looking into his dark eyes, Fabiola yearned to confess her enduring love for him, but hesitated, gripped by the fear that he might take advantage of her vulnerability if she admitted too quickly that he still owned a piece of her heart. She trembled at the thought of asking him if he still loved her.

Fabiola watched as her daughters blended in seamlessly with his family, as if they were meant to be a part of it. "Yes, I suppose they do," she said.

Joe walked up to the table tucked in the corner and asked Sefa and Fabiola, "Hey, what are you two doing here in this corner when everyone else is dancing?" He sat down, looking at them inquisitively as he tried to figure out what was going on between the two.

Sefa answered, "We're just talking," before looking over at the table where his parents and other older family members sat watching them. "So who sent you here to spy on us this time?" he asked Joe.

Joe chuckled and answered, "Your mother, of course. She's watching and praying that you two are confessing your love for each other," Joe looked at Fabiola. "Are you enjoying your self?" Joe asked Fabiola.

Fabiola nodded. "Yes," Fabiola answered.

Joe told Fabiola, "I hope you come around more often, Fabi. Everyone missed you," Joe smiled.

Fabiola remarked, "Funny, I remember a few people calling me the biggest bitch they ever met, and now everyone says they miss me," Fabiola rolled her eyes.

Sefa shook his head, hoping Joe wouldn't repeat what Fabiola said to anyone else. He wanted to avoid any drama, especially while working to reconcile with Fabiola.

"You have a feisty spirit, but you're also the kindest person we know," Joe said with a smile.

Fabiola smiled. "Awesome," Fabiola said.

Joshua walked over to Fabiola and held out his hand to help her up. "I'm here to rescue you from these two," He said, glancing at Sefa and Joe.

"Hey!" Sefa exclaimed, looking offended. Joe shook his head in disapproval.

"Thank you," Fabiola said as she took Joshua's hand and he helped her up. He then led her out to the dance floor and said, "Come on, show me some of your dance moves, Fabi," He told her.

Fabiola and Joshua dance together while Joe and Sefa discuss Sefa's potential rekindling of his relationship with Fabiola.

"What make it different this time? Why do you want to get back with Fabiola?" Joe asked Sefa.

"Though our relationship was once troubled, I believe the years apart have given us clarity and that we're now ready to reconnect in a healthier, more mature way. As he put it, 'Sometimes being separate helps you understand one another more.'" Sefa looked at her.

"Does Fabiola feel the same way?" Joe asked. "Does she really know why you broke up with her?" Joe asked, looking at Fabiola being twirled around by Joshua.

Sefa sighed. "I can't figure her out, but she's here, so she must feel the same way. No, she doesn't know why we really broke up. I won't tell her the reason," Sefa answered.

"Is it because of him that you won't tell her, or because you're afraid?" Joe asked.

Sefa had been defeated, and Joe was attempting to make him confront the truth about his past relationship with Fabiola.

Sefa asked Joe, "What? Should I tell her I ended things to save my relationship with my brother since he developed feelings for her?" Sefa shook his head. "If I told her that, she'd never give me another chance and would likely avoid this family forever," he added.

Joe raised his hands in surrender and said, "Hey, I'm just trying to be a good person and look out for you. What if he catches feelings for her again? What will you do then, Sefa? Break up with her again without an explanation?" Joe tilted his head to the side.

Sighing, Sefa stood up from his seat and approached Joshua and Fabiola on the dance floor. He took her hand and led her off the dance floor, pulling Fabiola out into the hallway. Joshua tensed up, his gaze fixed on them as they exited, drawing the attention of onlookers. The few people who knew the truth about Sefa and Fabiola's breakup looked at each other. This wasn't good.

Jon walked over to Joshua and asked, "You good, uce?" Tapping Joshua's chest, Jon continued, "You said you were over her. You can't ruin this for Sefa." Jon was in disbelief.

Jon pulled Joshua off the dancefloor and to the side so he could talk to him without everyone hearing their conversation.

Shaking his head, Joshua replied, "Leave me alone, uce." Joshua was panicking. He didn't think he still had feelings for Fabiola but seeing her today brought it back.

"You can't do this," Jon insisted. "You already made him give her up once before. Don't make him go through that again," Jon continued.

Kassandra, who had been standing near the Twins, overheard the entire conversation. She was shocked to learn the real reason why Sefa had broken up with her mother: Sefa's older brother had feelings for her mother. For all these years, her mother had thought the breakup was because Sefa wasn't ready to commit, but that was a lie.

"Let me clear my head. That's all I need," Joshua said.

"Get it together," Jon stated.

Kassandra shook her head, muttering, "The ghetto." She knew she would tell her mother about this if Sefa didn't.

Outside the venue, Sefa and Fabiola were having a deep but heated conversation.

"What's the problem?" Fabiola asked Sefa.

"The problem is that I made a mistake," Sefa answered.

Fabiola asked "What?" in shock, as she was confused and dismayed by what he had said. She wondered what he meant when he said he had made a mistake.

Sefa paced back and forth, then placed his hands on his hips. "I shouldn't have brought you here," he ranted. "I should have sat you down and told you everything beforehand." He stopped in front of her.

"Tell me what, Sefa?" Fabiola asked

"The real reason why I broke up with you," Sefa answered.

"What's the real reason you broke up with me?" Fabiola asked, crossing her arms over her chest, getting upset.

"I think we should discuss this calmly," Sefa answered.

"Just tell me," Fabiola said.

"Josh," Sefa said.

Fabiola raised an eyebrow and curiously asked, "What about him?" Fabiola was confused. What did Joshua have to do with Sefa breaking up with her?

"He caught feelings for you, so I made the decision to break up with you," Sefa explained. "I didn't want to fight my brother, Fabiola. You gotta understand," Sefa told her.

Fabiola's jaw dropped in shock as she shrieked "What the fuck!" Fabiola couldn't believe it.

Joshua had feelings for Fabiola, which is why Sefa broke up with her; she didn't want to choose between Sefa and his brother. Although Sefa made the right decision, he should have told Fabiola the truth years ago rather than lying.

Now Fabiola understood why Joshua had always been extremely friendly with her. The whole situation was crazy.

"Wait, a minute! Is that why Takecia and him separated?" Fabiola asked him.

Sefa nodded. "Yes," Sefa answered.

Fabiola sighed. "You should have just told me the truth," Fabiola told him.

"Would the truth matter to you? Would you have stayed?" Sefa asked her.

"Yes, it would have mattered to me. I deserved better than being made to feel unworthy of you. Just as I'm leaving now, I wouldn't have stayed with you either," Fabiola told Sefa.

Carrying a sleeping Kaylea in her arms, Kassandra stepped outside. "Mom," Kassandra called out to her mother.

Fabiola turned to her daughters. "Let's go," she said.

"Wait," Sefa interjected, grasping Fabiola's arm.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I brought you all here, so please allow me to take you home," Sefa responded.

Fabiola rolled her eyes. "Fine," Fabiola said.