Chapter 29
29
Lukas
M y entire body is shaking as I walk into the room. I’m afraid to face him, but I owe him an apology. When I see him in the bed, the tubes strapped to him, looking weak and frail, the guilt hits me harder.
“Come here, son.”
His frail voice rocks me on my feet. I go to him, reaching for the side of the bed to give me strength.
“I’m so sorry, Dad. I’m so sorry for what I did.”
His weak arm lifts and he closes his hand over mine.
“Son, I need to say something. As a dad, and a protector of this family, I needed to make sure that Torrin was okay. In the heat of the moment, I was terrified, and I jumped to the wrong conclusion. But I should’ve known better. You’ve always been a good kid. You have a good heart, and I should’ve known you’d never do anything to hurt her.”
But I did hurt her. The light has gone out in her eyes. The glow in her cheeks has burned out. And she’s been suffering for weeks. Alone. And I couldn’t do anything about it.
“Nearly losing my life, I’ve come to realize that I’ve made a huge mistake. You and Torrin are my family. And whatever time I have left on this earth, I don’t want it to be spent without my kids. I can’t live with you thinking I hate you. Because I don’t. You two have always had good heads on your shoulders and I can’t imagine you came to this decision lightly.”
“We tried to stop it from happening.” I tried so fucking hard, but my heart knew what it wanted. “But she’s pretty special, and it was hard to stop the feelings from growing.”
He nods. His lips lifting ever so slightly. “She is special. And so are you. You know, when I fell in love with your mother, I knew I’d met my soulmate. I loved her so much. But she was taken from me, and I thought I’d never pick up the pieces of my heart and be able to go on. But then I met Sheryll. And she was able to bring me back to life, and even though I never wanted to betray your mother, to disgrace or replace the love we shared, I couldn’t stop my heart from falling in love. And now, I can’t imagine my life without her. I guess my point is that we can’t stop who we fall in love with. Me telling you and your…and Torrin not to be together is like someone telling me I shouldn’t be with Sheryll because it dishonors your mother. But I don’t believe that. Your mom wanted me to be happy. She told me on her death bed to go out and find love again. And without her blessing, I wouldn’t have done it. So, what I’m telling you is to go out and be happy. If Torrin is the one, don’t let the world stand in your way. And it may take time for us to adjust to the new family dynamic, but you have our support. We are a family and that will never change.”
The tears slip down my cheeks. His hands squeeze mine, feeding me strength. His blessing means more than he could know. He just freed the guilt and regret that’s been weighing me down. It’s not just about having his blessing, it’s knowing he doesn’t think I’m some kind of monster. That accusation nearly broke me.
“But I am going to say one thing, son. You should go home and shower before you get your girl, because you kind of stink.”
The laughter breaks through the tears. It has been a few days. I need a shower, a shave, and a plan. It’s not just about getting my girl back; it’s about making up for all the hurt and pain I’ve caused her.