“That’s awful,” I whispered.
He nodded before looking away again and clearing his throat. “They put in their will that if anything happened to them both, they wanted me to take her.”
“Wow,” I breathed. As if Luke couldn’t be more admirable. He’d mentioned his parents in passing—Luna’s grandparents. Maybe they were too old to take care of a child? It felt too invasive to ask.
After a moment he added, “It was my mom’s suggestion that she call me Dad. Because she was so young, sheprobably won’t remember them at all.” He gave me a small shrug, like some part of him still questioned the decision. “She almost never asks, so I don’t think she does. I’m glad she calls me that, though. Because that’s how I feel.” His voice turned to gravel by the end.
Was I allowed to comfort him? He just touched me, albeit under a totally different pretense.
Fuck it.I closed the gap between us and my hand reached out on its own to rub a comforting caress up and down his upper arm and then hold on just above his bicep.
He stared at my hand for a moment. When he lifted his gaze, it was all eye contact, his brown eyes glassy pools.
“You are her dad.” I said softly. “It doesn’t make your brother-in-law any less her dad. But you’re who’s raised her and loved her like a daughter. Not to mention sparing her spending her whole childhood explaining why she has no parents around.” I couldn’t look away as I spoke.
He nodded and lifted the corner of his mouth up, but his eyes were still sad. My eyes wanted to fill, too. Poor Luna, losing both of her parents so young, before she’d remember.
It was so quiet in this kitchen. What he shared was so personal. Under different circumstances, it might have felt uncomfortable, but instead I just felt honored that he shared it with me.
“Sorry. I don’t know why it’s always so hard to say it out loud,” he added softly, voice hoarse.
“A loss like that will probably never get any easier to talk about.”
He nodded.
I inhaled carefully, determined not to lose the battle with my tear ducts. “Luke, it’s amazing you honored their wishes. You’re doing such an incredible job with her.” My fingers gripped his arm just a little tighter. I didn’t know how, but I could tell he needed to hear that. I could tell he didn’t always think so. I let go of his arm but didn’t move back.
He swallowed hard, nodding almost imperceptibly. It didn’tseem like he believed me, and I vowed to myself that I’d keep saying it, as long as I was here.
I kept it together for the handful of minutes it took to finish putting away the leftover food. We parted on a slightly somber note, but Luke still walked me to the door and told me to get home safe, even though Mimi’s was only a mile away.
He did that every time.
As soon as my car door closed, a sob ripped out of me. I couldn’t believe what he went through. What Luna went through. What got me the most was that she would’ve been too young to have memories.
She has no memories of her biological parents.
And Luke. He was probably only twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old when he lost his sister and became a guardian to an orphaned three-year-old. I shook my head, swiping at my cheeks. He might notice if I didn’t pull out of the driveway soon, so I put my car in reverse and drove carefully toward Mimi’s house.
What a beautiful thing Luke had done, fulfilling his sister’s wishes, giving Luna every bit of love she deserved after she lost so much. I thought of Drew. Would he do the same for me? Would I do the same for him? Despite our differences, I knew the answer to both of those questions wasyes. It made me want to talk to him.
“Hey, Val. Everything alright?” Drew’s voice came through my car speakers.
“Yeah, I’m good. Just saying hi.” My voice was still a little strained from the crying, but I hoped he couldn’t tell.
“Are you sure nothing is up? You’re not one to call to check in.”
“People can change, Drew,” I teased.
He chuckled. “You bored on that medical leave?”
“Actually, not at all. I love it.”
Drew told me about the classes he was teaching next semester and the medical paper his wife published recently. I told him how Mimi was doing and how great it’s been to spend more time on Martha’s Vineyard like we did when we were younger.
“I’m jealous. I’m going to try and get over there when Mom and Dad visit next month.”
“That would be great.”
