I gave him a sad smile. “OK.”
He released my hand and looked down at his watch. “I need to go. We’ll talk soon, OK?” He got to his feet, and I followed.
“You’ll call?”
“I’ll call.” He reached out for me, and I had a flashback of when he was a small boy, and he’d reach for me whenever he’d fall or get hurt. I’d hold him tightly and tell him to be strong.
“Be strong, Dad,” he whispered in my ear.
I laughed softly at his words.
“And tell that girl how you really feel.” He pulled away. “I have your number. I’ll be in touch soon.”
“Be safe.”
“Always.”
He gave me one last smile before leaving for the door. I watched him go, everything within me relaxing for a moment.
He was alive.
My son was alive.
21
MATTEO
“What a week,” Sylar said as he stretched out on the leather couch in my office.
“Feet off the furniture,” I said, moving past him to sit in my leather chair next to the couch.
He rolled his eyes but moved his boots off the couch and sat up. “I don’t really have a lot of time. I have other things to attend to.”
“Then by all means, say what you need to say.”
He smirked. “I’ve always liked you. Out of all our family, you’re my favorite. You even beat out my old man.”
“Well, Frank is an acquired taste,” I said, settling in to stare at him.
“He is, isn’t he? Some would say I am an acquired taste as well.”
“Some would,” I agreed.
“Would you say I am?”
“I would say that you’re a lot to handle, but I handle you just fine.”
He chuckled at that. “I love you, too.”
I inclined my head at him.
“You know my old man has some new chick knocked up?”
“I’m aware. Does that upset you?”
He looked like he was considering his answer before he spoke. “You know we’re all crazy, right? You. Me. Silas. And… the voices. Even my old man has his issues. Your old man has his. We come from a family of nut bags. Even Anson and Fox have their… things, although they brush it all off. Dominic, too.”
I nodded without saying a word. He was not wrong.
