Page 29 of Vanessa’s Bravery

“Yes, several times. But it always grows back. I even tried radiation therapy, but nothing will get rid of it.”

“Did you know your father?” Gabriel’s question was unexpected.

“My father? Yes, of course.”

“Did he have the same growth?”

“Yes.” Sadness crept into his voice. “He had it all his life.”

“Even after he met your mother?”

“Yes, that was the whole reason she didn’t want to be with him. They had a one-night stand, and nine months later, she handed me to him. She didn’t want to be a mother to a freak. My father could never find love, and he spiraled down into a deep depression.”

He hadn’t spoken about this to anyone, and it felt like a relief to get it off his chest. “He committed suicide when I was a junior in college.”

“I’m so sorry for your loss. If only he could have held on. But I’m glad you’ve found me. At least you won’t have to deal with the same pain.”

Cole felt hope rise. “Are you saying there’s a cure?” He stopped walking and turned to face Gabriel.

“Not a cure, per se,” Gabriel hedged.

“But then, if there’s no cure—”

Gabriel lifted his hand, interrupting. “You don’t need a cure. The growth you describe, the growth you’ve had since your birth is the same growth that I grew up with. It’s a genetic mutation, and it’s hereditary. My two sons have it too. It never skips a generation.”

“You have sons?”

Gabriel smiled, and for a moment, Cole didn’t see the scar but only the face of the man beneath it.

“Yes, and a daughter, and a happy wife. There is love for all of us. You’ll see.”

“But how?” He gestured to his groin. “How can any woman love this?”

Gabriel hesitated. “What I’ll tell you now might sound fantastical, but it’s the truth, and I’m the living proof of it.”

“What are you saying?”

“The growth I had from birth and carried with me for so many years isn’t there anymore.”

“It’s gone?”

“Not gone, because it cannot be removed, no matter what you try. It’s transformed.” Gabriel looked away for a moment. “Listen, I’m not used to talking to strangers about sex organs, but here’s the gist of it. After you sleep with the woman who’s meant for you, the growth you have now will turn into a second penis.”

Cole nearly choked on his own saliva. “A second dick?” He shook his head. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

Gabriel smirked. “I’m not. My wife would probably suggest that I show you my two cocks to make you believe, but then my wife is a doctor and not squeamish. I’m a little more reserved.”

Cole let the words sink in. “How is that possible?”

Gabriel shrugged. “There’s lore around this medical phenomenon. My wife will tell you that it’s all science, but every piece of lore is rooted in some reality. What they call men like you and me, and the women who make us sprout our second cock—so to speak—is satyr.”

“Like a minotaur?”

“Sort of, but without the hooves and all. And while my legs are hairy, they aren’t more than any other man’s.”

“Are you saying we’re descendants from some sort of mythical creature?”

“In a manner of speaking, though you are human. You just have this extra bit.” Gabriel shrugged.