Chapter 10
Cleo POV
One week later, the envelope sat in the middle of the table.
It sat there, unopened and untouched. I watched it from the kitchen doorway. Just one piece of paper, holding one answer, one truth. Still, I couldn’t make myself open it.
The house felt full but not crowded. It was just comfortable. Tommy and Lola argued over a board game in the living room. Skylar and Maddox sat on the floor, pretending not to talk but obviously talking. Stella helped me clear the dinner plates, even though I told her not to. Roman started teasing Tommy.
Tommy was giving as good as he got, and Rick...
I glanced toward the dining table, where the man sitting there was trying very hard to look calm. He wasn’t fooling anybody, especially not me. A week ago, he’d been Graves, the President of Devil Creek MC.
He used to be Graves, a stranger. Now he was just Rick, a man who had spent twenty-eight years searching for me. He showed up every time I let him. He never pushed, never demanded, never expected anything. He just waited, patient and hopeful, almost as if he was afraid I’d disappear if he moved too quickly. That thought made my chest ache, because somewhere along the way, things had changed. I wasn’t really waiting for the DNA test anymore.
The answer still mattered, of course, but it wasn’t the most important thing. The people in my house mattered more. My family mattered.
I took a steadying breath. Then walked over and picked up the envelope. Immediately, the room fell silent. Roman sat forward, Stella reached for Rick’s hand, and Rick looked like he was going to explode.
I couldn’t help smiling.
“You know, for a biker president, you look terrified.”
Roman laughed, Stella smiled, and even Rick managed a weak chuckle.
“Open it, sweetheart.”
My hands shook a little as I slid my finger under the seal and pulled out the paper. The room was completely silent. I started to read.
Once.
Then twice.
Then a third time.
Just to be sure, I read the words again, but they blurred, not because I couldn’t see, but because I suddenly couldn’t breathe. Across the table, Rick’s face went pale.
“Cleo?” His voice was barely above a whisper.
I looked at him. Really looked at him. At the man who’d waited twenty-eight years for this moment. The man who never stopped searching. The man who’d already loved me before he had proof.
I stood up and walked around the table. Before I could lose my nerve, I hugged him. For a moment, he froze. Then he hugged me back, careful and almost hesitant, as if he was afraid I might disappear.
The tears I’d been holding back finally escaped, and so did the words.
“Hi, Dad.”
The room went completely silent. Rick made a sound that broke my heart, a choked breath, a quiet laugh, and a sob all at once. He held me tighter, and for the first time in my life, I knew where I belonged.
When we finally pulled apart, neither of us pretended we hadn’t been crying. Roman was openly wiping his eyes.
“Don’t say a word,” he warned.
I laughed, and Stella did too. Then she started crying right away, which somehow made everyone laugh even more.
“Congratulations,” she said, her voice trembling.
Rick couldn’t stop smiling, and neither could I. After a moment, I looked at Stella, the woman who welcomed me before she even knew me, who never made me feel unwanted, and who spent years helping Rick search for me, even though we’d never met.
I walked over, and before she could say anything, I hugged her. She hugged me back right away, strong, warm, and safe. When I stepped back, her eyes were filled with tears.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
I shook my head. “No.” My own voice cracked. “Thank you.”
She looked confused for a moment, then I gave her a real smile, the kind that comes from deep inside.
“Because Tommy and Skylar deserve grandparents.”
More tears filled her eyes.
“And I think they got pretty lucky.”
Seeing the emotion on Stella’s face almost made me lose it. Then another thought came to me, and I looked around the room.
At Dad.
At Roman.
At Stella.
At Lola.
At my children.
“Should we tell them?”
The answer was immediate.
“Yes.”
Roman jumped out of his chair, and Dad was right behind him. I couldn’t help but laugh. A moment later, the kids gathered around the dining table.
They looked confused and curious. Tommy climbed into a chair right away, and Lola sat next to him. Skylar stayed standing, watching us closely. I knew that look, it was the same one I’d had for years, always waiting for something to go wrong. I reached for her hand, and she squeezed mine right away.
Dad cleared his throat and then looked at all three children. The nerves were back. I smiled.
“Dad.” His eyes found mine. “You’ve got this.”
He gave me a shaky but grateful smile, then turned back to the kids.
“There’s something we’d like to tell you.”
Tommy’s eyes widened. "Are we in trouble?”
Everyone laughed.
“No, buddy.”
Roman grinned. “Definitely not.”
A few minutes later, after we finished explaining, Tommy looked at Lola, then at Roman, then at Dad, and then back at Lola.
His eyes widened dramatically. “Wait.”
We all braced ourselves.
“Lola is actually my cousin?”
Roman laughed. “Yeah.”
Tommy looked delighted. “That’s awesome.”
Lola nodded enthusiastically. “I know.”
Then they high-fived like they’d just solved world peace, and everyone burst out laughing. Only Skylar stayed quiet, not upset, just thinking. I squeezed her hand, and she looked up at me.
"You okay?" I asked with small smile.
Skylar looked around and then back to me. “I think so.”
It was honest, not perfect, but honest. Before I could say anything, Roman stepped forward. Skylar looked up at him for a moment, and neither of them said a word. Then Roman smiled, not his usual teasing grin, but a softer one, the kind he usually saved for Lola.
“I know this is a lot.”
Skylar nodded. “It kind of is.”
A few people chuckled. Roman crouched slightly so he wasn’t towering over her. “You know what I think?”
Skylar shook her head. “I think I’m really glad your mom found us.” The room went quiet.
Roman’s gaze flicked briefly toward me before returning to Skylar.
“Because it means I got a sister.” His voice was warm. “And it means I got an awesome niece to watch grow up.”
Skylar blinked, clearly not expecting it, and a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “You think I’m awesome?”
Roman grinned. “Definitely.”
She laughed quietly, and I saw the uncertainty in her eyes fade a little. It wasn’t gone, but it was better.
Roman stood and ruffled her hair. She immediately swatted his hand away.
“Hey!”
He laughed. “Yep.” He pointed at her. “Definitely family.”
That made Skylar smile, a real, full smile that lit up her whole face. Seeing it made something inside me settle, because maybe this wasn’t just about me finding a family.
Maybe Skylar and Tommy had found a family, too.
As laughter filled the room again, I looked around the table.
At Dad.
At Stella.
At Roman.
At Lola.
At Tommy and Skylar.
For so many years, I’d wondered where I belonged, who I belonged to and, now I finally knew.
Family wasn’t always the people who raised you.
Sometimes, family is the people who never stop hoping you’ll find your way home. Somehow, against all odds, I did.
Against all odds, I finally had.