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“Whatever are you talking about?” Mom asked, her tone laced with concern.
“It’s nothing for you to worry about.”
“You should tell them. They’re not going to understand this new relationship if you don’t,” Emmett said quietly from where he leaned against the wall.
“You told Emmett but not anyone else?” Knox asked, his voice filled with hurt.
I shook my head. “He’s the one who saw us in the shed, and it was the only way I could get him to understand.”
“Understand what, exactly?” Heath barked.
My family was looking at me expectantly. “I promised I wouldn’t break Holly’s confidence. But I think she was close to coming clean with all of you, so I’m going to tell you. But please don’t mention it to her until I’ve had a chance to talk to her.”
When everyone nodded their assent, I continued, “The summer after we graduated, we discovered she was pregnant.”
A collective gasp went through them. Mom covered her mouth with her hand.
“Before we had a chance to process what that would mean for our futures, she miscarried.”
Sarah moved closer, resting a hand on my forearm. “I’m so sorry, Talon.”
“It was devastating for both of us. She thought it was her fault, and she pulled away. I wanted to be there for her, to grieve together, but she couldn’t get past the guilt and shame. She broke up with me and asked that I not tell you the truth.”
Mom approached me with tears in her eyes. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”
“Sometimes I wonder how old he or she would have been. It makes me wonder what if, but I know our baby wasn’t meant to be.”
“You can still have a family,” Knox said, resting his hands on Addy’s shoulders.
I knew what he was saying. Family came in all shapes and sizes. “The thing is, I don’t want to be with anyone else. It’s always been Holly. So I’m asking you to be open to us seeing each other. I invited her to dinner on Sunday.”
Sarah hugged me. “Of course we support you, and we love Holly.”
I squeezed her elbow, knowing that she wasn’t my toughest critic. Not when she hadn’t been around for the aftermath of our breakup.
Knox was next. He gave me his version of a hug, a lean-in and slap on the back. “I’m sorry you went through that. We would have supported you. But I understand that you were in a tough spot.”
“Thank you,” I said as the knot in my stomach slowly unraveled.
Each of my brothers and their significant others gave their condolences. It felt good for them to finally understand everything that had happened.
Emmett was the last one to approach me. “It was about time you told everyone. We had no idea, and it changes things.”
The rest of the family had wandered into the dining room, probably to give us privacy.
I raised a brow. “It does?”
“I don’t agree with Holly cutting you off back then, but you were kids, dealing with something huge on your own. You were bound to make mistakes.”
“So, you’ll be nice to her when she comes to Sunday dinner?” I asked him carefully.
Emmett nodded. “She has our respect. We already work together, and knowing your story, I can sympathize.”
“That means a lot.” It was rare for Emmett to back off a position, so I appreciated his willingness to see things differently.
He held up his hands as he backed away. “If she hurts you, all bets are off.”
I chuckled. “I’ll be fine.”
