“You look just like her,” was the first thing he said, placing his hands on the table in front of him. He broke eye contact with me for a brief moment and glanced at Trooper, then looked right at me again.
“I don’t think so,” I said, tucking my hair behind my ear.
He smiled. “You do. You have her eyes, her nose, even her smile. I haven’t seen her face in years, but I remember every inch. It’s a good thing you took after her and not me.” He laughed to himself.
“I’ll give you guys a minute to talk.” Trooper stood and kissed me on the cheek before my father nodded at him to agree.
“You’re beautiful, Sophie. I knew you would be though,” he said after we were alone.
“Thank you.”
I searched his face and noticed how handsome he was. I understood why my mother fell in love with him. His hair was cut low with flecks of gray and his face held strong features. A square jawline covered with a neatly trimmed beard.
His small eyes reminded me of mine, just like his caramel complexion. William was dark, while my complexion matched my mother’s. I never really questioned that because of hers, but now seeing my father, I was the perfect blend of both.
“Ask,” he said, intertwining his fingers as he watched me.
“Ask what?” I questioned, not really knowing what he meant or where to start.
“Anything you want. I’m sure you have questions and I owe you answers.”
I turned my head slightly to see Trooper and he was looking right at me with concern in his face, which I knew came from him being uneasy about me being here.
“Why didn’t you fight for me?”
“Because I couldn’t win. Fighting meant hurting your mother and you. I wasn’t going to do that. If your mother had given up, there was no point. It would have only complicated things and I still would have ended up here.”
“Did you love her?”
“Did and still do. Your mother did what she thought was best. She tried to protect me, but she was fighting a battle she wasn’t skilled to compete in. After her father was killed, she was alone. I don’t blame her for the choices she made, so don’t be mad at her because I’m not.”
“She said William’s family killed my grandfather. Did you know that?”
My father glanced at Trooper before he looked at me again. “I knew, but didn’t have proof.”
“Why are you here? What did William do?”
“It’s not important.”
“It is to me. Maybe there’s a way to?—”
“Sophie, no. Don’t worry about that. I’m not innocent. I’ve done a lot of bad things in my life. I made peace with that. Maybe I never would have ended up here if he hadn’t called in favors to make it happen, but maybe I would have. No one knows, but I can’t live like that, worrying about things I can’t change. I’m here and there isn’t anything I can do about that. One thing I’m grateful for is you. You’re absolutely beautiful, and from what Trooper tells me, you’re smart and successful. I regret a lot of things, but seeing you now…” He paused and smiled. “If me not being there allowed you to become who you are, I can live with that.”
I sat there for a minute with a million questions. I wanted to know so much but couldn’t focus on just one thing. My mind was all over the place. The more I thought about it, the more I hated William.
“Do you love him?” My father’s voice snatched me out of my head and I looked at him in confusion, so he clarified. “Trooper, do you love him?”
I had never admitted it before, not even to myself, but when my father asked, I said it with ease.
“Yes.” I couldn’t contain the smile that accompanied my answer.
“He’s complicated. Always has been. Life damaged him, but he loves you too, Sophie. Be patient with him. He has a good heart, he just doesn’t know how to let go enough to let people in, but looks like you’ve changed that.”
I nodded and we both glanced at Trooper, who frowned, and my father chuckled.
“So I hear I’m going to be a grandfather.”
“Looks that way.” I wasn’t sure if Trooper had told him.
