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He came home rarely and we never ran into each other.
As time passed, there also came many missed opportunities to tell him. Then I worried that he would try to take Noah from me or that we would have a nasty custody issue.
It became easier to just keep the news to myself.
Until now…
Would he understand why I kept it a secret for so long? Or would he make me pay for my decision to keep the knowledge of his child to myself?
I pushed the matter to the back of my mind. I could only deal with one thing at a time. The brooding boy next to me needed my attention now.
A few minutes later, we arrived at my place. I told him to make himself comfortable while I went to pick up Noah.
“We’ll talk when I get back,” I said.
“I know you’re mad at me,” Joe said and I stopped in my tracks on the way to the door.
He said it like the words could no longer be contained and I turned back to him.
I was honest when I replied, “I am, but I love you, Joe. Nothing will ever change that. I just wished you would have trusted me to help you.”
He looked down shamefaced. He seemed so young and lost in that moment and I had to go to him. I pulled him in for a hug even though he stood almost a foot taller than me.
He buried his head against my shoulder and let out a shuddering breath.
“Sis, I knew I should have come to you. It’s just my head was so wrapped up in this girl and she didn’t want me to tell anyone. I promised her that I wouldn’t and I couldn’t go back on my word.”
I admired his strength of character even though he was in a difficult situation. I patted his back comfortingly and told him, “I understand. Love makes us do crazy things sometimes.”
Wasn’t that the God damned truth.
He laughed, a shaky sound.
“Yeah, it does,” he agreed.
I pulled back and told him, “I have to go get Noah now. We’ll finish this conversation later.”
“Thanks, sis,” he said.
I headed for the door again and patted my pockets, checking for my cell phone. It wasn’t there.
I had left it in the car I realized.
I got into the driver’s seat and immediately looked for it. I
was never without it.
It was in the glove compartment and when I picked it up, I saw all the missed calls I had throughout the day. The daycare and Wyatt’s outnumbered all the others and I called the daycare back first.
They explained to me that Noah had become ill and that they had reached my emergency contact, who had picked him up.
I felt the blood drain from my face.
Wyatt already knew.
This wasn’t the way I wanted him to find out.
I had put his number on the form on impulse, not really thinking that he still carried the same contact number. My parents were usually unavailable to pick up Noah and Joe was too young. I had had no one else to place as a contact.
