For three months, my husband came over every Saturday, supposedly taking our children to Grandma’s. I didn’t ask any questions. He simply said:

— I want to spend some time alone with them. You stay home and rest.

That suited me well. I used the time to catch my breath. But one Saturday, everything changed. Just as they were about to leave, our daughter suddenly came back into the house to get her jacket. Jokingly, I called out to her from the doorway:

— Don’t forget to give Grandma a kiss for me!

She froze. Her expression changed suddenly.

— Mom, what are you talking about? “Grandma” is just a code word, she said, and ran out of the house.

I stood there petrified, not understanding anything, and decided to follow them. What I saw next horrified me… Continued in the first comment

Mom… what are you doing? — she whispered. — “Grandma” was a code word…

I didn’t understand anything.

What code word?

Dad forbade us from talking about it… — she said, and then ran out.

A code word? What was my husband hiding? And why were our children playing with us?

I immediately canceled my plans, took the keys, and followed them. When I saw where he was taking the children, I was shocked…

They weren’t going to Grandma’s, but instead turned into a large city park. I kept my distance and watched: They got out and walked to a bench where a woman I didn’t know was already waiting, along with a boy of about 14 or 15.

I saw my husband approach the boy and kiss him on the forehead. Our children played with him as if they’d known him forever.

I couldn’t stand aside any longer.

I approached. My husband saw me first and immediately realized what I was thinking.

—Sorry… I really wanted to tell you.

It turned out he was in a serious relationship before me. The woman had left him without telling him she was pregnant.

She had recently contacted him and told him he had a son. At first, he didn’t believe it, but a DNA test confirmed everything.

—I didn’t know how to tell you…—he said quietly. —I wanted our children to meet their half-brother.

It took me a while to process all of this. But now, after these months, I understand: He’s a part of our new life. We can do this together.