“Yeah, we can always eat,” Michael replied for me, since I was lost in my head.
“Good,” he said as we walked out and sat down around a large glass table. Michael sat next to me, and my new cousin was plastered to the other side, making me laugh.
Grant looked me over. “I still can’t believe you’re here. Would you like something to drink? We have water, beer, soda. Whatever you’d like.”
I smiled. “Yeah, water is great.”
Michael nodded. “Me too, thank you.”
Grant nodded and looked at Jayden. “Go get them their water, son.”
He nodded and jumped up like a Jack-in-the-box and took off toward the kitchen.
“He’s got more energy than should be allowed,” he added. “Jayden is sixteen, and—”
Before he could finish, two men walked out to the patio. I turned slowly and met the same green eyes that matched mine. He stopped, and the man behind him covered his mouth, before putting his hand on his shoulder.
I stood from my chair and stared at him as he stared at me. He was my height, with dark hair like mine, and the same build.
Grant and Michael stood too. “Liam, this is—”
He held up his hand. “I know who he is, Grant. He’s my son.”
Tears pooled in my eyes as he took the steps to close the distance between us. My father reached out for me and hauled me into his arms.
Tears flowed down my face as I held onto him. He held me tightly as we both cried. He ran his hand over the back of my head and squeezed me tighter.
“I’m so sorry, son. I didn’t know. I’m so sorry,” he repeated over and over as we rocked back and forth.
I shook my head and pulled back from him to look him in the eyes. “This is not your fault, Liam,” I said. “It’s hers.”
When he cupped my face in his hands, that’s when I noticed we were alone.
“I know, Adam. But if I hadn’t been so stupid and given her a fake name, maybe we could have found one another sooner.”
I chuckled and wiped my face, then returned to the chair I’d been sitting in. “I don’t know about that. The only reason I found you was because of Michael.”
He smiled, never taking his eyes off me. “He loves you. Knew it the minute I hung up the phone with him.”
I blushed and looked around for him. “Yeah, I love him too.”
My father smiled like he was proud of me. And I wasn’t sure my mother had ever looked at me like that.
“Do you know who I am?” I asked him.
He smirked at me. “Are you kidding? Who do you think you get your musical ability from?”
I laughed and nodded, rubbing my neck. “Yeah, I guess I do.”
We talked for a while, alone on the patio, just getting to know one another. When he looked at me seriously, I knew he wanted to know about her. “How is your mother? Michael told me she was having some trouble with drugs.”
I nodded and looked down. “She’s gone, actually. She died in November.”
His face contorted into sadness. I knew it wasn’t for her, but for me. In less than an hour, I felt like I knew him better than I ever knew her.
“I’m sorry, son. I can’t imagine what that feels like.”
My father reached out for my hand, and I gave it to him. “I’d like to be a part of your life, Adam, and we want you to be part of ours, if you’d like to be.”
