As I headed downstairs, my surroundings felt like a dream, a reality that was both familiar and strange. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was living a life that wasn't mine, that everything was just a fabrication of my mind. The thought sent a shiver down my spine.
I reached the bottom of the stairs and saw two young boys sitting on the couch, their faces identical, their eyes sparkling with mischief. They looked like me, and I felt a jolt of recognition. These were my sons, my twin boys. I was their father.
My mind reeled as I stared at them, trying to process this new information. I had no memory of being a father, no memory of having children. But here they were, two average humans who looked up to me for guidance and support.
I felt a wave of panic wash over me, but I knew I had to keep it together. I couldn't let my confusion and fear show, not in front of my sons. They needed me to be strong, to be their rock.
So I took a deep breath and forced a smile, trying to play it cool. "Hey there, guys," I said, my voice shaking slightly. "What's up?"
They looked at me with wide eyes, their faces lighting up with excitement. "Dad, can we play soccer with you?" they chimed in unison.
I hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do. But then I nodded, feeling a sense of determination. I was going to make this work, no matter what. I was going to be the father my sons deserved.
"Sure thing, guys," I said, trying to sound confident. "Let's go play some soccer."
As we headed out to the backyard, I couldn't help but wonder what other surprises this life had in store for me. But for now, I was just going to enjoy this moment with my sons, and try to make the most of this strange and beautiful life.
As we walked into the backyard, I tried to casualy ask, "So, what's today?" hoping to get a sense of the day without arousing suspicion. I didn't know the boys' names, so I phrased it as a general question, hoping either of them would respond.
One of them, the one with the slightly messy hair, looked up at me with a grin. "It's the weekend, Dad!" he exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
I smiled back at him, trying to appear nonchalant. "Ah, great!" I said, trying to sound enthusiastic. "I was just...uh...looking for something," I added, trying to cover up my real intentions.
The other boy, the one with the slightly more serious expression, looked at me with a hint of curiosity. "Dad, are you looking for something?" he asked, his voice laced with a hint of concern.
I quickly shook my head, trying to reassure him. "No, no, I'm good," I said, trying to sound convincing. "I'll just go get ready and we can head out to play soccer, okay?"
The boys nodded in unison, their faces lighting up with excitement. "Yeah! Let's go, Dad!" they chimed in, their voices filled with enthusiasm.
I smiled back at them, trying to hide my confusion and uncertainty. I had no idea what day it was, or what my plans were, or even what their name was. But I knew I had to keep up this charade, at least for now. So I nodded, trying to appear confident, and headed back towards the house, trying to find my way back to my room to get ready for this mysterious soccer game.
Upon opening the door to my room, Gabriella immediately ended the call she was on, telling the person on the line that they'll speak later. She then turned to me, asking what I was doing back in the room, I was supposed to be almost ready for us to leave.
I was more confused than ever. "Where are we leaving to?" I asked, trying to make the question sound funny, but Gabriella wasn't having it.
She didn't find my question amusing and instead, her expression turned stern. Without saying another word, she angrily stormed out of the room, leaving me feeling lost and confused.
"Oh God, why am I in this situation?" I thought to myself. "What appointment do we have today that I never knew of?" I had no idea what was going on, and Gabriella's behavior only made me more perplexed.
Sitting on the bed, I was trying to gather my thoughts and make sense of the chaos that was unfolding. But before I could even process anything, the door burst open again, and Gabriella stormed in, her eyes blazing with anger. Her hands were on her hips, and her voice was raised as she began ranting.
"So, you promised the boys you'd play soccer with them, after we made plans for our 15th anniversary together? What's all this, James? Why are you always making me feel like I'm the bad guy? This was supposed to be our special day, just the two of us!"
I was taken aback by her outburst, and my mind went blank. I couldn't find the words to respond, couldn't think of a way to explain that I had no idea what she was talking about. I didn't know about any plans for an anniversary, didn't know that we had sons who wanted to play soccer with me. I was completely in the dark, and Gabriella's anger was only making things worse.
But I knew I had to say something, had to try and defuse the situation. So I took a deep breath and tried to cover up my ignorance. "Common Babe, that's part of my plans today," I said, trying to sound convincing. "I want this to be a special anniversary, so we're going with the boys. We're going to have fun today, play soccer together. That's part of today's plans."
I hoped that my words would calm Gabriella down, but her expression only grew more skeptical. "Really?" she asked, her voice laced with disbelief. "You expect me to believe that you planned all this without telling me?"
I nodded, trying to maintain the charade. "Yes, I wanted it to be a surprise. And I think you should get ready too, change into something casual. This day is going to be nothing but fun."
Gabriella raised an eyebrow, her eyes searching mine for any sign of deception. But I kept my expression neutral, hoping that she wouldn't see through my lies. After a moment, she seemed to relax, her anger dissipating slightly. "Fine," she said. "But you better be telling the truth, James. I don't want any more surprises today."