“Maybe you could use some time alone,” I suggest as we enter Liberty Falls. “You can call me later.”
But he insists on coming into the house with me to pick up Bernie for the day. We spend the first ten minutes being slobbered on by Bernie, who acts like we’ve been gone for a month rather than two hours.
“I’ll take you to work, babe,” he says.
“Do you want to talk about it? I can take the rest of the morning off.”
“I’m okay.”
“I get it, J, more than you know. You’re tired of living with this secret buried inside of you. I’ve had a secret, too, one that I’m sick and tired of hiding from the world, which is not being able to shout, ‘I love Jenson Beau,’ from the rooftops of every building.”
Jenson takes my hands in his.
I hold his gaze. “Meeting your biological father was kind of like meeting the man behind the dark curtain at a puppet show. He’s holding the strings because he’s the point where all the different threads connect for you. If he hadn’t disappeared, my father wouldn’t have made you an unofficial Graham. A secret father is a hard thing to carry, and other than you, I know that better than anyone.”
I want to be the strong one who stays calm and lets Jenson have his space because this is his story. But my story became inextricably linked to his a long time ago, and my emotions are all over the place.
Jenson pulls me into his chest and holds me close. “You’re right. About everything. Let’s go inside.”
We settle Bernie in the living room with a toy and then go to my bedroom. Jenson pulls back the covers, lifts me up, and lays me down on the bed. He takes off everything but his boxers and climbs in next to me. “I’m going to love you,” he says as he pulls the sheets over us, and I rest my head on his chest, “forever.” He lightly traces my lips with his finger. “My whole life flashes before my eyes, Olivia, when you touch me. And I want that always. I love you.”
I start trembling. “J…”
“I love you,” he repeats firmly. “I don’t know why this is how it happened, why this is our love story…” He draws in a shaky breath. “But it is. It’s our story. Everybody has a story to tell. And this is ours.”
* * *
Jenson
I go for a long run after I leave Olivia’s house, and then I bring Bernie, Kyle, and Connor to the park. We spend over an hour tossing Bernie a ball until all three little guys are exhausted.
Kyle sacks out on my chest, and I sit down with my back against a tree, cuddling Connor next to me. Bernie happily flops down in front of us and goes to sleep.
“I love you, Daddy,” Connor says sleepily.
I kiss his head. “Love you too, Con.”
“What about me?” Kyle says, too tired to even keep his eyes open. “Do you love me, too, Daddy?”
I chuckle. “Remember what I tell you every night when I tuck you into bed, or when I call before you go to sleep at Mommy’s?”
“You say you love us, no matter how near or far, and you always will.”
I hug him close to me. “That’s right. And I always mean it.”
Within seconds, both boys are sound asleep. I doze off for a minute or two myself, enjoying the peace and quiet. Nobody else is at the park, and the sun is shining.
Only one person is missing. Olivia. My heart.
As soon as Kyle and Connor wake up, I urge them up.
“Come on, boys.” I take them each by the hand and let Kyle hold Bernie’s leash. “We’re going on an errand.”
“Where?”
“To the jewelry store.”
“Why?” Kyle demands.
