The Unwanted Wife and Her Secret Twins (Mia and Kyle) novel Chapter 302

Chapter 302 How many husbands do you have?

Mia’s POV

“Mom, can I have some coffee?” Alexander asked me during breakfast.

I paused mid–sip, looking at my four–year–old son who was sitting across from me at our kitchen table. Ethan was beside him, methodically cutting his pancakes into precise squares, but I could tell he was listening to every word of this conversation.

“Children shouldn’t drink coffee, sweetheart,” I said, setting my mug down carefully.

Alexander’s face immediately scrunched up in that expression he got when he thought adults were being unreasonable. “But why? You drink it every morning.”

“Because coffee has caffeine, and caffeine isn’t good for growing boys,” I explained.

Alexander clearly wasn’t satisfied with that answer. He crossed his small arms. “That sounds like one of those excuses adults make when they don’t want to explain the real reason.‘

Ethan looked up from his geometric pancake arrangement. “Alexander’s right, Mama. You always tell us to be curious and ask questions, but then sometimes you give us answers that don’t really answer anything.”

I looked at both my sons, these tiny humans who somehow managed to see through every adult deflection with laser precision. They were right, of course. I did tell them to be curious, to question things, to think for themselves.

“Alright,” I said, reaching for my coffee mug. “You want to know what coffee tastes like?”

Alexander’s eyes lit up immediately. “Really?”

“One tiny sip,” I said, holding up my finger. “But I’m warning you, most children don’t like the taste.

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I tilted my mug toward Alexander’s lips, giving him just enough to wet his tongue. His face immediately contorted in disgust, his nose wrinkling as if he’d just smelled something terrible.

“Ugh!” he sputtered, sticking his tongue out. “It tastes like vinegar!”

I laughed. “Son, how do you know what vinegar tastes like?”

Alexander’s face flushed slightly, and he exchanged a quick glance with Ethan. “We… might have tried some things from the kitchen when you were at work last week.‘

“What kind of things?” I asked, though I was afraid to know the answer.

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Chapter 302 How many husbands do you have?

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“Just the stuff in the little bottles,” Ethan said quietly. “We wanted to understand what different flavors were.”

“And the salt,” Alexander added. “And the vanilla extract. And that green stuff that smells really strong.”

“Basil,” Ethan clarified. “We learned that fresh herbs are very different from dried herbs.”

I rubbed my forehead. “Boys, I need you to promise me you won’t try any more strange things without asking me first. Not everything in the kitchen is safe to taste.”

“We know,” Alexander said solemnly. “We didn’t try anything that looked dangerous. We’re not stupid, Mama.”

“I know you’re not stupid,” I said gently. “You’re actually too smart for your own good sometimes. But some things can hurt you even if they don’t look dangerous. Promise me?”

“Promise,” they said in unison.

I was about to return to my coffee when Alexander hit me with his next question, delivered with the

casual tone he might use to ask about the weather.

“Mom, how many husbands do you have?”

I nearly choked on my coffee. “Alexander, what kind of question is that?”

“It’s a counting question,” he said matter–of–factly. “Ethan and I were trying to figure out the math.

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I looked at both boys, who were staring at me with expectant faces. “Alexander, that’s not something you should be concerned about. Little boys should finish their breakfast.”

But Alexander wasn’t deterred. “Grandma’s friend Mrs. Hans said she loves her fourth husband the

most. She also said that Grandma and Alan are getting married soon.”

I felt my eyebrows shoot up. Mrs. Hans had been a good friend of my mother’s for the past few years. She had a slight hearing impairment, which meant she spoke quite loudly and apparently shared information that four–year–olds definitely shouldn’t be overhearing.

“Alexander, Ethan,” I said, putting on my serious mom voice. “Eavesdropping is very bad behavior. I hope you won’t do it again.”

“We weren’t eavesdropping,” Alexander protested. “They were talking really loud, and we were right there in the living room. It’s not our fault grown–ups don’t pay attention to who’s listening.”

“Okay, Mom,” Ethan said quickly, shooting his brother a warning look. “We’ll try to cover our ears next time grown–ups talk about grown–up things.”

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Chapter 302 How many husbands do you have?

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“Good,” I said, though I wasn’t entirely convinced they would actually follow through on that promise.

Three seconds later, Alexander continued with the persistence of a prosecuting attorney. “Will Uncle Thomas become your husband?”

Ethan immediately looked up from his pancakes, his dark eyes wide. Both boys were staring at me

now.

I put down my cutlery and looked at my sons carefully. “Are you worried about this?”

Neither of them answered immediately, but I could see them exchanging one of their silent twin communications. Finally, Ethan spoke up.

“We like Uncle Thomas.” he said carefully. Alexander added. “But we know sometimes grown–ups pretend to like kids until they move in, and then they get mean.”

They had been watching too much television.

“Where did you hear about that happening?” I asked gently.

I sighed. “Listen to me, both of you,” I said, reaching across the table to take their small hands in mine. “Thomas would never being like that. And no matter who it is, I’ll let you know before they want to become my husband, okay? And more importantly, no one will ever become part of our family unless they love you both as much as I do.”

Alexander’s shoulders relaxed slightly. “Now can I have more syrup on my pancakes?”

“Finish what you have first,” I said, smiling as the conversation shifted back to more manageable

territory.

**

After watching them disappear safely into their classroom, I drove to my office. My workload was usually heavier in the second half of the year. I organized my work plan and started tackling the most urgent tasks.

I was deep in concentration, working on a particularly challenging floor plan for a residential renovation, when my phone rang around noon.

“Thomas,” I said, answering without looking away from my computer screen.

“Hey, beautiful,” his warm voice filled my ear. “How’s your day going?”

“Busy but good,” I said. “How’s your day?”

“Long meetings, boring conference calls, the usual corporate excitement,” he said with a laugh. “But

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