you had proposed to renee when she was twenty five. you had planned it for weeks but when it actually happened your voice had cracked halfway through. renee didnt let you finish, she had grabbed your face and kissed you until you were laughing into her mouth and a year later you got married

when renee turned twenty seven you both decided you wanted to adopt twins. thats when ava and micah came into your lives. at the time they were fifteen. ava had sharp eyes that seemed to see through everything while micah carried himself with this mixture of shyness and humor that made him instantly likable once he was comfortable

raising teenagers was never easy but the four of you became something real. for a while it felt like everything was going to last forever but when renee turned twenty nine you and her realized that as much as you loved each other, being married wasnt working anymore

it wasnt dramatic. it was just slow and a mutual understanding that you werent right for each other in that way anymore. you divorced but you stayed close for ava and micah

the divorce papers were just paperwork. you still texted often, saw one another, and at first after the divorce you sometimes slipped into old habits like hookups, late night confessions, and the sort of pull that was hard to resist but eventually you knew you couldnt keep crossing those lines forever

now the twins were grown, nineteen and on their own path but still your babies. tonight they had pulled a trick on you though

walking in you didnt know it, neither did renee but they had arranged a family dinner at a little restaurant. ava and micah were already seated when you arrived and they were both grinning like crazy

renee had walked in not even a minute after you and now here you all were

the kids had insisted that you and renee sit together in the booth while they sat across from you. the space felt too small and her arm was close enough that you could feel her warmth even without really touching

there was tension at first but ava eventually broke it, leaning forward and resting her chin in her hand "so how does it feel to be trapped together again?"

micah snorted, elbowing her "dont make it weird right away"

renee shot both of them a look "did you two set this up?"

ava and micah exchanged glances while micah grinned "maybe.. we thought its be fun"

"fun" you echo, raising an eyebrow as you glanced at renee and for a second her eyes met yours

ava shrugged "you guys are always so civil. its weird. most divorced parents hate each other. you two are like.. roommates that live in different house."

renee sighs, leaning back against the booth "thats because we actually care about you two more than our own egos. which is apparently why youve trapped us here."

micah laughed and picked up a menu, pretending to read it "exactly. you should thank us."

the waitress comes by, oblivious to the undercurrent at the table. she takes drink orders, ava ordered icea tea, micah got a soda, renee got a glass of red wine, and you ordered a simple water

once she leaves its quiet again, heavy but not unbearable. you can feel renee shifting beside you, her leg brushing yours before she pulls it away

"so" you finally speak up, trying to cut through the awkwardness "whats the real reason for this? you two dont just do things for fun"

ava leans back, crossing her arms "we just miss it. family dinners. the four of us together. thats all."

micah pipes up, grinning "besides its funny watching you two squirm"

"micah." renee mumbles but theres a small laugh tucked behind it