Keaton let go of Cora’s hand.
“It was only one time,” she said. “I promise. We weren’t even married. We were just kids. We’d just broken up. I sat alone on the bleachers at school, crying. Leo found me. He offered to take me home. He comforted me. One thing led to the next.”
Keaton heard the words coming from her mouth, but he didn’t want to believe them.
“We both realized what a horrible mistake we made. We vowed never to tell you. Then I found out about the pregnancy. I’d used a condom with Leo. I didn’t question the paternity. The whole thing with Leo became so distant. You and I got back together. We married. We had Vivian. We built a good life, Keaton. Until the day Vivian went missing.”
Miserable tears overcame Keaton. “Yeah, then you gave up on us and went running back to Leo.”
“Not like that,” Cora quietly said. “And you know it. You were a dejected drunk. I stayed with you for five years, cleaning you up every time you passed out. My mom told me to leave you. Hell, Keaton,yourmom told me to leave.”
“Leo’s lactose intolerant,” Keaton mumbled.
“What?”
“Nothing.” The tears spilled over Keaton’s eyes, turning Cora’s face blurry. “Just leave me alone,” he croaked.
One week later in Sparks’ office crowded Mia Ferguson, Cora and Leo, and Keaton.
Keaton hovered against the wall, listening to Sparks…
“…Best we can put things together, Dana Zielchrist did have a baby that she named Emily. In Oregon, we located the preschool that Emily attended up until the age of four and then never returned. The preschool had pictures of her. She did have an uncanny resemblance to Vivian. We believe that Emily died, though we’ve yet to locate the grave. Dana came to Florida, perhaps to see Mia, though that meeting never happened, and instead saw Vivian playing on the beach. She took Vivian to replace Emily. They lived a year in a new state where Dana perished in a home fire. Mia became the guardian of Emily and here we are.”
Behind Detective Sparks stood a young man who looked like a new college graduate.
Sparks continued, “This is Nathaniel. He’s a counselor and mediator with Family Services. He’s going to help all parties involved come to an agreement regarding Emily, or rather Vivian’s, custody and visitation.”
Keaton tuned out.
Against all odds, he’d found Vivian and yet…she wasn’t even his.
EPILOGUE
TWO YEARS LATER
Keaton showedup to the beach to celebrate Emily’s sixteenth birthday. Zane, Leo, and Cora’s father busied themselves setting up a cabana. Keaton’s mom and Cora worked at laying out a table of food. Mia kept Benjamin busy. And Emily—because she chose to go by that name and not Vivian—was sectioning off an area for games.
She spotted Keaton and ran toward him. “Dad!”
With a grin, he gave her a big hug. “Happy birthday, sweet girl.”
“We’re in charge of the games.” Emily tugged him along.
He exchanged friendly hellos with the family, then began helping his daughter with the beach games.
His daughter.
It had been an emotional roller coaster over the past two years. Thankfully though everyone was at a place of amity.
Mia now resided overseas. Emily saw her once a quarter, either abroad or there in Florida. Choosing to live full time with Cora and Leo, who Emily affectionately called Pops, Keaton had her every weekend.Brothers’ Paintingnot only survived but thrived with not only Keaton and Zane, but also Emily workingfor them part time. With bills settled, Keaton found a new sense and stability, even venturing into dating.
And for the first time since Vivian was taken, Keaton felt at peace.
