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Troy swallowed, then shifted his gaze to Holly. "Holly, would you mind giving us a minute alone?"
She stood, but Eli grabbed her hand.
"No. She stays. There's nothing that you can say to me that you can't say in front of her."
"Eli," she said gently, "maybe—"
"No. You stay, or we both leave."
Holly sat back down on the couch. "Okay. Whatever you need."
Troy cleared his throat. "I know you're angry with me, son—"
"I'm not your fucking son," Eli growled. "I haven't been your son since I was three years old. I read your letters. You said how sorry you were. How bad you felt about everything. But what you never did was come and get me. You never sent a birthday present or a Christmas card. You never came to see me at all. I was your fucking child, and you abandoned me like I was nothing!"
"If you think I didn't want you, then you're wrong," Troy replied, his voice trembling. "But you had a stable home in New York, two parents, and you didn't want for anything. I’d lost parental rights. Besides, I was working constantly, scratching to make a living, trying to go to night school, so I could get a better job. It wouldn't have been a good life for you here, Eli."
"You're wrong. I did want for something. I didn't have two parents." Eli slashed a hand through the air. "Ethan Donnelley didn't want anything to do with me. He gave me his last name after they adopted me, but he wasn't my father. He hated having me there. He never wanted children, and he said I ruined his life. He told me that many times when Katherine wasn't around."
Eli put his head down and sucked in a deep breath before looking up at his father again. "Do you have any idea what that was like for me? They fought about me all the time. Living in that house was hell."
Troy paled. "Eli, I didn't know."
"She's dying, you know."
It was the first time he'd ever said the words aloud, and something in him shook loose. He teared up, fighting like hell to hold them back. "Katherine made plenty of mistakes, but she loved me. She became my mom when you drove my real mother to an early grave." Eli swallowed hard. "And now, she's got Alzheimer's."
"I know," Troy said quietly. "Eli, I'm so sorry."
He looked away. "It's too late for sorry."
"I don't believe that. It's never too late to start fresh."
"How did you know she had Alzheimer's?"
"I've known for a while. We've talked here and there over the years. The nurses have my number, and occasionally, I'll get a call from Katherine."
"You could have fought to see me."
"I thought you were better off with her than with me," Troy said, his voice thick with emotion. "Eli, you wouldn't be where you are today if I'd have raised you."
Eli rubbed his temples. "Jesus. This is so fucked up."
"Maybe you don't want to hear it, but you need to know that I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for stealing the money that led me to prison, and for what happened to Camilla," Troy said, meeting his eyes. "I know she was exhausted from working three jobs after I went inside. I've never stopped blaming myself for her death, and I never will. Your mother was the love of my life. We were a family. Maybe not for long, but those memories of all three of us... they're the best ones I have." Troy leaned forward in his chair. "I'm sorry you felt I didn't want you, and for not fighting to bring you back to Florida. But I'm not sorry for the man you've become, thanks to my sister. Katherine wasn’t my biggest fan, but I’m grateful she raised you. You're a better man than I could ever hope to be."
Eli sucked in a breath, then dragged his palms down over his face. "My sisters... did they know about me?"
"No," Troy shook his head. "I didn't want to get their hopes up if you weren't interested in being a part of their lives. After I got your text, I told them that they have a brother. They're very excited to meet you." Troy ran his hands down over his thighs. "They'll meet you at Minnigan's restaurant tonight at 6pm."
Eli stood. "We need to get going." Pausing, he glanced over at his father, who got up from the easy chair. "Are you going to visit your sister anytime soon?"
Troy nodded. "Yes. I bought a ticket to game four of the playoffs, so I’ll be in Vegas then."
Eli froze, stunned. "What? Why? Why would you do that?"
"Because regardless of everything that's happened, you're still my son, and I'm proud of everything you've accomplished. You've done well for yourself, and you're incredibly talented. I want all of your dreams to come true. That's all I've ever wanted, Eli. I wanted a better life for you than I had growing up."
Fuck. He could feel the tears pricking his eyes again, and he turned to face Holly, just so he could escape the weight of his father's stare. Her gaze was warm, and she reached for his hand, which he gladly accepted.
