Chapter 31
Thirty-One
“Oh my gosh, Jamie!” Eight hours later, when I hear Aunt Maddy’s voice, it’s like sweet relief.
“Aunty!” I cry out, racing to meet her by the sofa.
We hug, and she pants her breaths. “Oh, Jamie. I can’t believe this. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here.”
“Don’t be. It wouldn’t have changed the outcome. We already knew Mom was gone.”
She nods. “Now we have closure.”
I look over her shoulder. “Where’s David?”
“He’ll be back in the morning,” Aunty Maddy replies. “He raced to the airport with me, but there was only one seat left on the plane. Nothing was stopping me from getting back here, and he supported that.”
“I’m sorry you had to cut your trip short.”
“Are you kidding me?” Aunt Maddy cups my face as her eyes become glassy. “Nothing’s more important than being with you right now. Gosh, I missed you. Are you okay, baby?”
I nod, smiling. “I’m okay. I’m so freaking thankful you’re home.”
Aunt Maddy sighs with relief, enveloping me in the warmest hug. When we part, Mrs. Nelson embraces my aunt while I wander toward Milo. An adorable smile brightens his face, and I can’t help melting.
“We should get going,” Mrs. Nelson says. “Leave you guys to process everything.”
“Can Milo stay?” I ask, interlacing my fingers with his as I clamp down on his hand.
Aunt Maddy double-takes at us, gesturing at our linked hands. “What’s this?”
“Umm, we…” Milo trails off nervously.
“Milo and I are dating,” I blurt. “We’ve been getting close for a while, but everyone has only recently found out.”
Aunt Maddy’s hands make an explosion sign off her head. “What? Last I checked you were making any excuse to not be around Milo.” Aunt Maddy gives Milo a sympathetic look. “No offense, Milo.”
Milo shrugs, embarrassed.
“At least you’re only seeing them holding hands.” Kai smirks, folding his arms. “I caught them in full make out mode.”
“All right, Malakai,” his mother blurts, shoving him away. “Time for us to go home. Milo, you should probably come with us too.”
Aunt Maddy shakes her head, still figuring out what’s between me and Milo. “It’s okay, he can stay. I’ll drive him back later. Oh, thanks for bringing my car back, by the way.”
“Oh, Laura did that,” Mrs. Nelson replies.
Aunt Maddy looks at me questioningly, and I quickly say, “I’ll explain later.”
When Kai and his mother leave, Maddy enjoys asking Milo and I about our new connection.
We enjoy telling her our ups and downs, for a moment leaving the sadness bubble.
I even ask her about how her trip with David was to avoid these tough topics.
Of course, David comes off as a pure gentleman in all her tales.
Unable to put it off any longer, I ask Milo to heat the tea kettle in the kitchen. I didn’t want him to disappear too far away, but I thought I should tell Maddy this in somewhat private.
“There’s something else you need to know.” I exhale and drag a hand through my hair. “I found out something and didn’t want to lay it on you while you were enjoying your vacation.”
“Baby, you didn’t need to hide anything from me,” Aunt Maddy says, her eyes shining with tears. “You always come first.”
“I know, but this was your time. You needed to come first.”
Aunt Maddy clutches my hand. “I appreciate that. Tell me what’s happened.”
I steady myself. “Remember how I found Mom’s diary?”
Aunt Maddy braces herself. “Did you find out who...?”
I nod slowly. “Mom lied.”
Aunt Maddy’s head jerks. “What was that?”
“My dad’s not dangerous,” I whisper harshly. “We’ve known him all along.”
“Jamie, you’re freaking me out. Who are you talking about?”
Tear pool in my eyes. The happy kind. “It’s Coach.”
It’s still not sinking in. “Coach?”
I tap the space over my heart. “My coach.”
Aunt Maddy shakes her head, unable to compute. “Brent? Are you talking about Brent Anders?”
I laugh with a mixture of nerves and joy. “Yes! Coach is my dad!”
Aunt Maddy’s jaw drops. “What?” She gasps. “Brent is your dad? And Lily hid it? Why would she do that? He was the nicest guy she knew. Maybe she didn’t know who your dad was at first?”
I shake my head unequivocally. “She knew. She didn’t want to tie him down.”
“Good lord!” She gasps again. “How could she keep such a big secret? He’ll be devastated to find out she kept this from him.”
I cling to Maddy. “Will you be there when I tell him?”
She sucks in her bottom lip and locks onto my eyes as she nods. “Absolutely. Are you okay about this?”
I grin as my heart swells in size. “I’m beyond happy. I already love Coach.”
“Oh my gosh, baby.” Maddy giggles, letting her tears stream. “He’s your dad.”
I wipe her tears, smiling. “I know. Crazy.”
“When do you want to speak to him?” Aunt Maddy asks. “We could call him in the morning. Maybe arrange for him to stop by the cafe?”
I wince. “I don’t want it to be a public scene. Plus, I don’t know if I can take another night of feeling sick over this.”
Maddy rubs my back tenderly. “Then what do you want to do, baby?”
“Can we call him tonight?” I ask. “We need to tell him about Mom anyway.”
Maddy eyes fill with concern. “You want to do this now?”
I hold on to her forearms. “All I’ve needed is to have you back. I can’t face him without you.”
Aunty Maddy rests her head by mine. “I’m here for you. Want me to call?”
I gulp. “Absolutely.”
Aunt Maddy calls Coach. I sit close to her and hear his part of the conversation. When she asks him to come over, his concern is over her cutting her trip short. She tells him she’ll explain everything, it just needs to be in person.
Even though Coach wastes no time in driving over, I need Milo to hold me upright while we wait. I’m sick with dread when Coach knocks on the door. Aunt Maddy answers the door, and I quickly peck Milo on the lips for good luck. We break apart as Coach enters the house.
“Oh, Milo,” Coach says with surprise. “It’s late for a tutoring session, isn’t it?”
“Ahh…” Milo stammers, looking at me for help.
“That’s not the reason he’s here,” Maddy answers for us.
“You told me you had some big news,” Coach says. “But it didn’t exactly sound like a happy tone.”
“You might want to sit for this,” Aunt Maddy says, gesturing at the sofa.
Coach doesn’t budge. “Maybe you should just tell me what this is about.”
“There’s no easy way to say this.” Aunt Maddy wrings her hands together, growing pale. “They found Lily’s body.”
Coach collapses on the sofa, resting his hand over his mouth. “Oh, no.” He sighs heavily. “I mean, I knew this day was coming, but…”
“Doesn’t make it any easier,” Maddy and I say at once.
Coach nods in solemn agreement.
Maddy sits down by Coach. “We were wondering if you wanted to be a part of the memorial. I know we already had one, years ago, but she’ll have an actual burial plot now.”
Coach smiles. “I’ll do anything to help celebrate Lily’s life.”
“Umm, Coach,” I say with a shaky voice. My hands fidget nervously, and Milo is quick to give me a comforting smile.
Coach looks at me with kind eyes. “Yeah, kid?”
“I know this is heavy stuff, but I have something else to lay on you.”
He looks at Maddy and then back at me. “What is it? You can tell me anything.”
I nod at Maddy. “Aunty, I got this.”
Aunt Maddy gets up, giving me a pat on the shoulder for good luck. She motions at Milo and they move into the kitchen. They’re still within earshot, and that’s a good thing. The whole reason they’re here is for moral support.
I sit by Coach and curl my hair behind my ears. “Did you have any idea my mom kept a diary?”
Coach grins. “No, I didn’t.”
“Well, I recently found it, and you’re in it. A lot.”
Nervousness ripples through his expression and posture. “Oh. You didn’t read anything you didn’t want to know, did you?”
“Mom didn’t go into excessive details,” I say, skirting their love life. “But she did drop a bomb.”
Coach straightens up. “What is it?”
“Did you ever suspect you were…”
He leans in closer with a serious expression. “Suspect what?”
I blow out a breath and whisper, “You’re my dad.”
His hand cups his mouth, and his eyes widen. When he slowly lowers his hand, he murmurs the words, “I knew it.”
My heart pounds with bated excitement. “You did?”
His hands land on my shoulders and run down my arms. “Oh, Jamie. I wish she’d told me.”
“She planned to,” I reply. “It was all in her diary. She knew you’d want to stick by her, but she wanted you to finish college.”
“There was just something in her eyes every time she let me hold you.” His gaze drifts into memories. “I always expected her to tell me. When she denied it, I believed her.”
“Wait. She told you I wasn’t your kid?”
He nods. “I half believed her.”
I frown. “I’m so sorry she lied. You must be so angry. You said you knew her as someone who didn’t lie.”
“What she said was one thing. How she acted was another. I couldn’t deny how much she loved you. Whenever I came home on breaks, she always encouraged me to visit you.” Coach smiles. “When she kept your dad’s identity a secret, I still didn’t lose hope he was me.”
I grin. “You wanted to be my dad?”
“I loved Lily so much,” Coach admits. “I felt it in every fiber of my being that we had made something special. I looked at you and it was undeniable.”
“You never said anything. Even when she was gone.”
“I couldn’t be sure. But with her gone, I looked out for you even more. I’ve always cared about you like you were my own.” His posture tenses. “How are you feeling about this?”
“It’s a crazy mix of emotions,” I admit. “But I’m so relieved that it’s you. I was so scared to find out who my dad was. I never imagined you were him. It was a total mind blow, but not in the least bit scary.”
Coach smiles. “That’s good to know. What happens now? Do you call me dad?”
I wince. “That feels super weird. Can we stick to Coach?”
Coach chuckles. “That feels right. I like that.”
I lean forward, roping him into a loving hug. “Good. I love you, Coach.”
He rubs a circle on my back, exhaling deeply. “I love you too, kiddo.”
Milo edges away from the kitchen counter, subtly looking our way.
A wry smile creeps across Coach’s face. “So, you and Milo?”
I jerk away. “What?”
“What’s happening between you two?” Coach can barely contain his chuckle. “You two have been sticking together like glue. On the soccer field, praising each other at the cafe, and now he’s here. You’re constantly looking at each other with moony eyes.”
I sigh. “Is it that obvious?”
Coach pats my back. “Only because you two barely shared the same space before he started tutoring you.”
“Well, if you must know, we’re dating now.”
“Really? And it’s all going well? I don’t need to give him the stern parental figure lecture?”
I laugh. “Okay, now you’re weirding me out.”
“In all seriousness, though, I don’t think you could’ve picked a better guy. Milo’s intelligent and loyal. I’m happy for you, too.”
I lean forward and hug him. “Thank you, Coach.”
When Coach and I stand from the sofa, Aunt Maddy is quick to give Coach a hug. As they embrace, I move toward Milo.
Milo takes my hand and lets out a ragged breath. “How’d it go?”
I nod ecstatically. “Good. He always had his suspicions, so it wasn’t a monster shock.”
“I’m glad he took it well.”
I giggle. “He asked me about you.”
“What? Why?”
“Because he suspected something was going down between us.” I click my tongue. “We spent all that time in your house, and no one noticed anything. Coach, however, saw right through us.”
Milo chews his lip. “And he approves?”
I grin wholeheartedly. “He agrees with me. You’re my perfect guy.”
Milo pecks my lips and nuzzles his nose against mine. “Good, because I’m never letting you go.”