Mia and Arman watch their mom as Belle searches for something inside the closet. It reveals a shoe box she has been keeping since, before the twins were born.
The day she returned to her family after Gibson died.
The shoe box contains everything the twins need to know about their dad, how it starts and how it ends.
All the photos of Gibson she kept inside this box which Doctor Craig gave in to her if she missed him. The only thing the twins will remember their dad is this photo.
"Kids". Belle smiling up. "I found it. Well, actually it wasn't so hard since this is my room and.."
She laid the box on the fluffy carpet.
"Tonight. There will be no more secrets between us. And tonight you both will find out the truth".
Belle opened the shoe box, the first photo on the top was Victor Gibson, she smiled as she stared at that photo.
Photo of Emma below it. She shows the twins. "This is Emma. She has been my best friend since we were small".
Mia took the photo and studied it. "She's beautiful".
"Of course she is. And this is me with her. We went to a summer camp that time we were like twelve something. Every night we both would sneak inside the kitchen cabin and have ice cream or chocolate bars without everyone knowing what we did".
Belle shows another photo of Emma and her. "This is her photo after she punched the boy name, Noah on the face because that boy likes her and she hates him".
She smiles, "I do remember that boy still chasing her around the camp. I don't know where he is now. Probably married and have a bunch of kids".
There, Belle spoke back. "This is her last photo we took together. On her sixteenth birthday".
"What happened to her?"
As the twins took another photo of Emma with their mom. "Stabbed through her heart because she died inside her bedroom. And the killer was?"
Belle eyes the twins. "Your own dad".
"What!"
Belle nodded her head. "That's right. Your dad is her killer. Because he thought my hatred, my loathe toward him was coming from her.
"But that wasn't true at all. I never was like your dad from the beginning. I don't know why but never was. I will never forgive myself that day at her funeral.
"Your dad is obsessed with me, the most possessive English teacher I've ever known. He took me by force. I stabbed him on his chest with a knife and he shot me on the legs with a crossbow".
Arman and Mia jaw drop unbelievable. "Dad shot you?"
"You stabbed dad!"
She breathed heavily, said. "It's hard to believe but I stabbed your dad for revenge on my best friend he killed.
"My high school is my worst nightmare where I met your dad. His name is Victor Gibson".
She stares into the twins' eyes. "Both of you were born to Gibson, not Decker. Decker is my family name".
"Our dad is the killer and you are his trophies". said Mia. Arman got up from the fluffy carpet in anger. "What are we then? Pregnancy by mistake".
"We are the children of the murderer, Mia!" Arman growled. "He is the murderer so we are".
Mia cried after being shouted at by Arman, and Belle stood up. "He is the killer, mom you married to a killer and had us by mistake after his death".
Belle pointed at the house next door,
"You've been asking why I keep staring at that house. Yes. That house is where your dad lived. You think I want that to happen? Do you think I was planning that?
"Everything I do is for my life. I had to survive and escape for the sake of you both. You don't know anything so don't judge anything you don't know!"
Belle breathes heavily, Arman feels guilty.
"We didn't judge you". Arman spoke. "We regret that we are born from the flesh of the murderer".
"Arman, stop!" Belle exhaling, hand on her hips. She spoke back. "If you say that again it makes me think I am the murderer too. I'm your mom. You both have mine, your dad flesh and blood.
"That is why I keep this hidden from you because I know you won't believe what he did to me and the people he hurt".
Mia spoke, "Does Uncle Craig know about this?" Belle nodded her head.
"Because your dad is Uncle Craig's friend and brother. He's the one who helped me to raise you both on behalf of your dad. He was there for me even now".
She smiled. "Neither do I want it to end like this". Arman took a seat back on the carpet, he said.
"I'm sorry. I took my anger on you. It wasn't your fault but him. You were right, we do share the same blood and flesh with him no matter whether I try to push or deny the truth. I cannot do anything".
Belle smiles, gently rubs his laps. "I lived with him and I know deep down inside his heart he regretted what he did.
"I should accept his love as soon as we meet. Sixteen or not. And my friend is still alive now and has her own family".
Belle smiles again, "We could be happy as one family. I can't turn back time. If I had a chance I would.
"I want to make up for all my mistakes with your dad, and my friend's family. Now, he's gone and so did my friend. I fly like a birds and I can go whenever I wanted to without him on my side".
Belle sighs, "Even I wanted him beside me damn much. I had to stay, what choice did I have back then?"
"And dad returns you back to grandma and grandpa".
Belle nods her head, "Until that day I suddenly fell in love with him and having you two inside me. That was a short memory I will remember about him".
"I gave birth to the most beautiful baby that he never experienced being a father when he was alive. He died for his family he loved, he died for the only wife he loved and that wife is me".
"He will never be our dad since what he is". said Arman. "A murderer".
Mia slapped him on the back, she growled toward him. "Still. He is our dad. Dead or alive period! Wish I could meet him but I can't".
"Wish I could meet your dad too. Yes, I hated him. The meantime I missed him".
Belle bites the bottom of her lips, her hand reaching the photo for later then shows it toward the twins. A photo of their dad.
"This is him. Victor Gibson your dad".
Mia reaches the photo and takes a look, and notices someone she is familiar with.
"Are you sure this is our dad, mom?" Belle nodded her head. "Are you really really sure this is the man you married to".
"Yes. Mia, this is your dad. I never doubt it. I share the same bed with him, the same man who killed my friend and my husband. Why are you giving me that look?"
Arman took the photo from Mia's hand, he looked. "Are you serious, mom?"
"Oh my God what is wrong with you two twins!"
Arman and Mia look at each other's face then look down the photo again, leaving Belle a curiosity and confused about what just happened.
"What?"
"If this man is truly our dad. Which means he is still alive". said Mia. "Because this man is our school gardener but his name was Ethan James he's a nice man, we spoke to him".
Belle laughed, said. "That must be a mistake. Your dad died for several years, I was there when we buried him. I was there the last time I saw him laid on that table. These men probably had the same face. I am sure that gardener is not your dad".
"Okay. If you said that".
Belle smiles, "He's not coming back for sure. I was there when it happened. End of the story. It's already late at night. But I want you to agree with me on something".
"Of what?"
Arman raises his eyebrows. "We're going back to our house. Origin house, which is not in New York but in Garnett, Kansas. Where it all begins. Your Uncle Craig will be there for us".
The twins jumped happily. "I know you two missed him. So I called him".
"Great. When will we go?"
Doctor Craig waves at Belle from afar as the car moves toward the house. With a smile she parked the car, turning off the engine and giving him a big hug.
"Oh I missed you, brother".
"My dear, Belle, we're the same. How are you?"
Before she could answer him, Mia already hugged him around the waist. He looked down.
"Well well isn't this my little pumpkin who is growing and beautiful like her mother".
Mia blushing by looking up at him. "It's me. You got what I want?"
"Of course. Come here, Arman, this old man needs a big hug from you".
Belle looked around the place, she sighs harder. "Luckily I remember. Since when did they change the road?"
"I got lost too but I managed this way".
She nodded, "Where's, Amy? Does she know you are here for me".
"You never believe what I told you".
"Is she pregnant?"
Doctor Craig shakes no. "If she was I would be happy but no. We had a fight, she never let me far from her. She is the biggest jealous woman I ever met as my fiancée, especially toward you, Belle. I told her still she won't believe me".
"Who we are to change her, neither can I nor change my husband".
Doctor Craig eyes back to the twins. "So they know about Gibson?" Belle nodded her head. "How is it going?"
"Quite. Convince your own kids it will never be the same you try to convince your own friends".
Belle and Doctor Craig stare at the twins. Their faces looked confused. "Well, welcome home everyone. There are plenty of rooms we can choose from. I cooked tonight".
"I help. Come along kids, this is your house actually don't be shy. Is where your parents had conceived you both".
Arman and Mia shouting at Doctor Craig, he smiled. "Is it true I was here?".
"Shut up, Uncle Craig, it's disgusting!"
Belle rolled her eyes up as they walked up to the porch. Doctor Craig unlocked the door and revealed the furniture inside.
Still the same nothing had changed but dust. "What a huge house, wonder why". said Arman.
"Your dad brought this house for your mom and for his future kids which means you are two now".
Doctor Craig smiles, "This is where your dad lived before he died". He pulled the sheets from the couch and was coughing. "Yep. We need to clean this house first".
Later in the evening. Arman and Mia playing outside the house. Belle and Doctor Craig sit on the porch stairs eyeing the kids.
Belle is smiling, finally she returns to this house. It's been years since she left, been abandoned. And now it will be filled with Arman and Mia laughter inside this house.
Hoping Gibson could hear them from where he had been in the afterlife. "It feels weird without my brother in here". said Doctor Craig. "Why sudden?" He turned to look at Belle. She spoke.
"Because it's time they had to know about their father. They are ten, so I had no problem with that, surely they will understand but not Arman. I suspect him to be against his own father after he finds the truth for what he did to me and Emma".
They both sigh, "That boy hated Gibson?" ask Doctor Craig.
"I don't know. I can't figure out what's on his mind".
"If I were Arman I would think the same way as he did. Hurting my mom, how could I forgive him? And you wish to fix the time, back to where it started and start to love him once again".
Belle shook no, "If I had the power to fix the time. I wish I would not know about Gibson, nor about you or Jake. No nothing.
"I just want Emma back to me and live as a happier sixteen year old me".
There was a silence between them, Belle spoke back. "Have you ever heard about the Harley's?"
"No. But last time I knew he lived in New York, am I right? When you guys are still in sweet sixteen. Haven't you seen him in person".
Belle shakes no, she sighs harder again. "He totally forgot about me being abducted. Living in his fancy wealth. Whatever. I don't care about him anymore, what I care about is my kids".
"If you see him, what would you do?" ask Doctor Craig. "Ask him to marry you".
"Nah! I will push him down the stairs like my husband did to him that night". Belle and Doctor Craig burst to laughter. "Seriously, I will do it. You wanna bet?"
He shakes no, "Wife of Victor Gibson. What happened to the old Belle I used to know?"
"Dead. I am the new Andriana Belle Decker. The old Andriana Belle Decker is dead, buried alongside her husband several years ago. You will never find that girl again".
His eyes fixed to Mia who kicked Arman on the legs. "She is rough". Pointing at her. "Your kids completely had built different characters even though they are twins".
"Urgh. Wait until they two have a fight. I can feel the whole building splitting into many pieces. Arman is the protective big brother and Mia is the stubborn one. You wanna know something?"
Doctor Craig turns to her, "What is it?"
"They said their school gardener looks like their father. I mean I show them his photo and the twins claim he was".
She notices Doctor Craig's face changing, "Are you okay? Why does your face suddenly turn white, are you sick?"
"Hungry. Yeah, I am. There is no possibility Gibson is alive. We saw him right, he's dead".
Belle shrugs, nodding her head again. "I say the same thing to Arman and Mia. The gardener probably out of nowhere looks like a same person.
"Maybe I will come to school and meet this gardener in person to make sure he wasn't Victor Gibson as Arman and Mia had claimed before".
"You should do it. Because I was afraid something more bad will happen if Arman and Mia get closer to him. I mean very close. No one knew who he was before he became a school gardener".
Nodding. "Yeah, you were right. Well, of course I haven't seen him yet. I try". Their eyes back to the twins.
Silhouetted against the evening sky, a sudden rain, thunder and lightning are rumbling. Belle and Doctor Craig stand at the porch. He stands beside her, his hand around his waist.
"It's raining". Belle leans out the porch, festively. "Kids, get inside! Put down that metal. Are you trying to get yourself killed or what. There's thunder rumbling and lightning above the sky, didn't you hear!"
Another lightning flash, the twins' shock hurried their feet running back to the house, both wet and smiling.
"Don't show your teeth to me. Get inside. Get inside the showers. Go on now. And be down for dinner".
Watching the twins running upstairs. Belle and Doctor Craig went inside, he shut the door behind them.
Out of nowhere it's raining. Someone had been watching these families since Doctor Craig had arrived waiting for Belle and her kids.
And who will be that person stalking the family in the middle of the rain.
