AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Of course you are," she said, looking surprised as she patted his hand. "You've always taken care of me. You're the best son a mother could ask for."
Jessie came in with a tray of beverages, diverting his mother's attention.
"Hello, Eli," she said, waving. "Nice to see you. Mrs. Donnelley, I brought you a cup of tea."
"Eli, why don't we go out on the porch for a bit." His father slapped his thighs and stood. "Let the ladies have their tea in peace."
"Sure." The conversation had taken a lot out of him emotionally, and he could use a break. His mother might not even remember their talk ten minutes from now, but still, he felt relieved. She'd understood in the moment, and he had to hang on to that.
He followed Troy out onto the porch and sat down on the railing as his father took a seat on the glider.
"Are you okay?" Troy asked.
Eli glanced out over the yard. "I'm glad that's over, but no, I'm not okay."
"It's a lot to handle. It's a very big step getting her moved into a facility. I know it has to be really hard on you, making that decision."
"It's fucking awful. I feel guilty, and the whole thing just sucks."
Troy nodded. "Sometimes, doing the right thing is the hardest thing."
"I guess." He paused, then glanced over at his father. "My girlfriend, Holly, is pregnant."
His father's face lit up before realizing it might not be something to be celebrated.
"You're not happy about it," his father said slowly.
"How can I be? I don't know how to be a father. I grew up with a stepfather who treated me like trash, and a biological father who I never knew. I know jackshit about being a dad."
"Do you love Holly?"
Eli swung his ball cap around. "Yeah, I do. Earlier tonight, I found out she's planning on moving to California if she gets this job she's been interviewing for."
"What are you going to do?"
"What can I do?" he snapped. "I can't force her to stay."
"I'm sure Katherine never told you this, but you were a surprise to me and Camilla."
Eli stared at his father. "I was?"
"Yep. When Camilla got pregnant with you, we weren't married. We were crazy about each other, but we hadn't made any long-term plans. And then boom, she was pregnant."
His father shook his head and smiled. "Jesus, I was fucking terrified. I nearly passed out when she showed me the positive pregnancy test."
Eli raised his eyebrows. "Really?"
"Oh, yeah. I loved your mother, but no way was I ready for that news. I didn't know how the hell I would make enough money to support a wife, let alone a kid. I didn't know the first thing about being a parent. I was practically a kid myself." Troy shook his head. "I spent the first few months of the pregnancy in a state of sheer panic. Literally sweating through my shirts, worrying."
"What changed?"
He smiled at Eli. "I finally went with your mom to one of her doctor's appointments, and heard your heartbeat for the first time. I bawled like a baby right then and there."
Eli slowly turned around to face his father.
"All I could think of was, holy shit. We did that. We created that little person with the strongest heartbeat I've ever heard." Troy smiled at him. "At that moment, everything changed. You became my kid. Our kid. You became more than just a fear that I'd felt for months. You were this little person that we made because we loved the hell out of each other. And then I couldn't wait to meet you."
His father hung his head for a moment before speaking. "I sure as hell am not going to win any father-of-the-year awards. We both know that. But, Eli, before everything went bad, those were the greatest years of my life. You, me, and your mom. We were a family. My biggest regret in this life is losing my family."
