He was having trouble processing this.
As in he heard Peyton’s words, understood them, but believing them?
Not so much.
“It’sreallythem,” Peyton said.“It’s not a joke, or mistaken identity.They’re really Callum and Bryn.Even Badger says it’s them.”
He thought he might be close to hyperventilating.“You told them about Mom?”
“I did,” he said.“They asked about her shortly after they were conscious.They’re in shock, obviously, but they can’t wait to meet you.And Dewi and the baby, obviously.”
“My mom’s parents arealive?”
Dewi reached over and laid her hand on his leg, but he didn’t sense her trying to use her Prime powers on him.
“Hold on just a minute.”It sounded like Peyton was walking, then they heard a knock on a door.Someone called out and he opened it.“Would you like to speak to him?”
He heard a man and a woman in the background.
“Hold on a sec,” Peyton said.“Okay, you’re on speaker.Ken, Dewi, this is Callum and Bryn.”
“Hello?”a man said in a hoarse voice.
Ken sucked in a sharp breath.“Hi.”
“We can’t wait to meet you, Ken,” the woman said.“And you, too, Dewi.”
Ken wished he hadn’t met Dewi’s gaze, because tears were rolling down her cheeks.“We can’t wait to meet you, either,” she choked out.“Ken’s a little speechless right now.”
“I-I’m sorry,” Ken said.“I just…” He sucked in another breath.“I punched Donnel.When he told us what he did.Badger and Duncan wouldn’t let me shoot him.”
The man roared with tearful laughter.“Yep.He’s our grandson.”
A full-body shiver rolled through Ken at that.
Grandson.
Dewi grabbed his hand and held on tight.“We named our first baby Lyssa,” she said.“Lyssa Louise.Grandma Louisa was Duncan’s wife, my mom’s parents.”
“Was?”the woman asked.
Peyton spoke.“She died in a car accident a couple of months before Mom and Dad got married.I’ll tell you the story later.”
“I’m sorry,” Callum said.“I met her a couple of times.She was a good woman.How are Charles and Chelsea?”
Dewi closed her eyes as Peyton spoke again.“Um, they were murdered when Dewi was six months old.That’s also a story for another time, I think.”
“Oh!”Bryn gasped.“I’m so sorry!”
“Uh, you guys just survived hell,” Dewi said without opening her eyes.“You don’t owe usanyapologies.”
“It’s just…” Bryn sniffled.“We have so much to catch up on.”
“First thing,” Peyton said, “is we let you decompress for as long as you need.Whatever you need, we’ll take care of it.The important thing is you’re both safe and home.”
“We can’t wait to meet you,” Bryn tearfully said.
“What were you going to name her?”Ken heard himself ask, barely able to choke out the question.“Mom.What were you going to name Mom?”
