“I did not know they existed,” he said.
“Would it have mattered?” I asked. “If you had known, would you have chosen differently? Would you have told your father no? Would you have loved me enough to walk away from all of this?”
He did not answer, which was answer enough.
I stood up.
“You should go, Julian,” I said. “You have a new wife waiting for you. A life that does not include me or the children. That is what you wanted. That is what you have.”
“Can I meet them?” he asked. “The children. Can I spend time with them?”
I thought about it.
About Ethan, who took apart everything to understand how it worked.
About Oliver, who could charm anyone with a smile.
About Lucas, who saw too much and spoke too little.
About Sophia, who led her brothers like a tiny general.
About the life we had built without him.
“Maybe,” I said. “If you can prove you want to be their father, not just avoid a scandal. If you can show up consistently, not just when it is convenient. If you can love them for who they are, not who you want them to be.”
I looked at him directly.