“I’m sorry, Dad,” he whispered through tears. “If I’d known that was the last time I’d see you, I would have stayed.”
I wrapped my arm around his shoulders to reassure him he wasn't alone. As I went to step back, he grabbed my hand. Words weren’t necessary as I stood by my husband while he wept for his father.
CHAPTER 30
BRENT
I tooka deep breath and said goodbye to my father. I’d always remember the good times we had before Matt got sick. If we ever decided to have children, I’d make it my mission to be the best father to ever father.
The chapel doors opened behind me, but I didn’t turn around. John kissed my cheek, then stepped away.
My Uncle Pete came to stand beside me at the casket. We stood looking at my father.
“He called me after he got out of the hospital a couple of weeks ago, and asked me to come down to see him.”
I furrowed my brows. “Why?”
“When he was in the hospital, they discovered he had pancreatic cancer. It was advanced and they gave him a few weeks. He wanted me to help him get his affairs in order, and the first thing on the list was you.”
My heart began to pound. “Why didn’t he tell anyone? Did mom know?”
Pete shook his head. “No. He didn’t want her to know.”
He let that sit a moment before he pulled out an envelope from the inside pocket of his jacket. As he held it in his hands, I grabbed onto the side of the casket to steady myself.
Before I could take another breath, John was beside me. “I’m here, baby. It’s okay.”
I nodded, getting myself together.
“He wrote you a letter, son. Your dad made me promise to get it to you before you left after the funeral. But the way my sister has behaved is appalling, and I wouldn’t blame you if you never came back.”
I swallowed a lump in my throat as I stared at my father's last words to me.
“Just know we love you, and he loved you. But I would wait to read this after the service. I just wanted to make sure you got it before you left.”
Nodding again, I took the envelope with shaking hands. I looked down at my father's familiar handwriting on the front and brought it to my nose. It smelled like him, and I was terrified of what he had to say.
“Uncle Pete, is this going to make it worse than right now?”
He put his hand on my shoulder. “No son. If that were the case, you wouldn’t have received it.”
I nodded as tears fell down my face. An avalanche of pain and regret came pouring out as my uncle hugged me. I stood and cried like a little boy, but I didn’t care. And when I could get myself together, John pulled some tissues from his pocket and handed them to me.
“Thank god it's not a handkerchief. Those things are gross.”
We laughed at my unintended joke, but I knew it would be okay.
“You’re a lucky man, Brent. It would make your father happy to know you had such a strong support system.”
He pointed to the back of the chapel. I turned thinking he meant Austin and Greer. But when I saw them, tears welled in my eyes and I had to grab my knees to get a hold of myself.
John rubbed his hand over my back and my uncle patted my shoulder. “Your family’s here, sweetheart. They’ve all come to make sure you’re okay.”
Along with Austin and Greer stood Phantom, in his dress whites, along with Adam Spencer. GQ also wore his uniform and stood by Dominick.
Patrick Griffin and Cole Bradley flanked them, as Aidan and Marcus stood by. The door opened again and in walked Jackson and Simon Kincaid.
John handed me more tissues as I turned to him. “How many do you have in there?”
