Page 50 of Fractured Destiny

“Up.” Levi catches my free hand with one fist and reaches for Lake with the other.

Lake shifts the bag and takes his hand without hesitation. Our son swings happily between us as he leads us toward the front doors, completely unaware the two adults following him are trying very hard to act as though this feels ordinary.

I don’t know what waits upstairs, but I’m excited to find out.

The elevator carries us to the third floor with Levi buzzing between us, his sneakers knocking lightly against the metal wall every time he shifts his weight. Lake unlocks the door, steps aside, and lets us go in first.

I pause just inside the entry.

Morning light spills through a wall of windows overlooking the lake, turning the hardwood silver beneath the clouds. The condo is beautiful, clearly a professional helped him, though not in the polished way I’d imagined. It feels lived in. Lake’s hoodie hangs over the back of a chair. His lyric notebook rests open on the coffee table.

The ordinary clutter makes the whole place warmer than any designer could possibly stage.

We follow Lake into the kitchen where he sets his coffee on the island and takes out bagels and donuts from the bag. A bowl of strawberries, blueberries, and bananas sits beside the stove. He opens the refrigerator, and takes out fixings for a quick scramble.

Breakfast doesn’t take long. Lake makes the two of us omelets and a small scramble for our son. Levi eats most of his sausage and eggs, followed by half a donut.

The second he’s finished, his eye catches something in the adjacent living area, and he slides off his chair and kneels in front of it.

“Open it, buddy,” Lake encourages.

Inside are rocks, each one more beautiful than the last. Split geodes glitter with crystals. Bands of agate glow in the morning light. Smooth river stones sit beside quartz clusters and an amethyst almost too large for his hands.

I stare at the collection before I look at Lake. “You did this?”

“It’s no big thing. I’ve been collecting them here and there.” His attention never leaves our little boy. “Every time I saw one I thought he’d like.”

I’m speechless. On the brink of tears. I knew Lake has been preparing for today, but I had no idea he’d go all in to support Levi’s greatest joy in life.

My God, when I think about it, this entire paternity situation could have gone in so many bad directions. How did I get so lucky to have chosen Lake on the night of my relapse? The man could have handled this in so many negative ways. Ignore his son. Fight me for custody. Or worse, pretend like he wanted to be involved and then disappear.

It’s been the exact opposite. Not only has he become the best father a child could hope for, but he’s a supportive partner in our parenting relationship. Even if he and I don’t work out, I have every faith it won’t affect how strong his bond with Levi will be.

Levi whirls around and screams, “Rwocks!”

“You can take them out.” He kneels beside him, close enough for their shoulders to touch. “Here, let me help you.”

Lake helps Levi lift each rock out one by one and arrange them on the rug. Levi studies a black stone veined with gold, turning it beneath the window until it catches the light. Then he picks up a clear crystal, holding it up toward Lake.

“Dada. Rwock.” He beams.

At first, Lake doesn’t move. With a small shake of his head, he refocuses on the stone for a moment, then back at the little boy who trusted him enough to share it.

“It is,” he agrees quietly. “It sure is.”

Levi nods, satisfied, and turns back to his treasures.

Lake stays put, fully immersed in watching Levi sort rocks he collected for him, even if his son didn’t realize why. For the second time in the span of an hour, I’m close to tears. What a miraculously special moment to witness. All these months of preparation, and it looks like it was all worth it.

At some point, Lake turns to catch my eye. I make the heart symbol with my fingers and he pretends to catch it by tapping his chest. I nod toward the hallway and he smiles.

“Little man.” Lake ruffles Levi’s hair. “How do you feel about leaving these here for a minute? Your mom and I have something we want to show you.”

Levi glances up at me, resting one small hand on an amethyst while he thinks it over.

After a moment he looks at me. I smile. “Let’s go see.”

He slips his hand into Lake’s, and together they meander down the hallway, one taking easy strides, the other hurrying to keep up. I follow behind them, watching my son’s fingers wrapped around his father’s and feeling the warmest and fuzziest I can remember.