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From what Pete had said, this James guy hadn’t wanted anything to do with the kid back then, and the truth is, Ryan wanted to prepare the kid before letting them anywhere near her. He now knew all about her standing outside their house looking in and what that might mean, so he wasn’t set on driving them away, but he needed to know where they stood.
“We’re not here to make trouble. I’m guessing you know who I am.” If James had a hat in his hands, he’d be turning the brim around and around between his fingers in his nervousness. He wasn’t quite sure if this was the right thing to do; after all, his wife was still a bit on the fence, something he understood because of her own situation.
He knew how hard it was for her to accept the girl that was his one true biological child and would probably be the only one he’d ever have. In the beginning, when she’d made him choose between her and the child, she’d done it out of teenage angst. Her anger and hate had been towards Misty, but she’d never harbored any true ill will against the child.
But once they got married and settled down to start a family, it was discovered that they weren’t compatible in that area. They could both have kids, just not with each other. The blow had been devastating; it was like reliving the betrayal all over again. Old wounds had been ripped open again, and there was no way she’d ever be able to get over it.
It’s not like James never thought about the child; of course, he had. But his hate and disdain for the mother had far outweighed whatever curiosity he might have had. Now his young daughter was the one to put some sense in his head. He was still amazed at the young girl’s heart. Then again, his kid has always been starved for affection.
Not that he and his wife didn’t give her any, but like most adopted kids, once they realized that they’d been adopted, she sought love and acceptance from everyone around her. James and his wife had had a good long talk with both their kids before coming here.
He wasn’t sure why he’d expected them to be against having their sister in their lives. He was afraid they’d feel threatened, he guessed. But both kids were adamant that they didn’t mind. It seems they’d both noticed the young girl standing outside their window a time or two in the past and found it sad though they hadn’t known the truth about who she is until now.
He was a bit surprised by the other man’s reaction to their presence, though. Had he been mistaken? As far as he knew, the man wasn’t interested in the child and, in fact, had been the victim of her actions, actions that could’ve landed him in jail. Though Cora had seen what Connie had done as a sign that the girl was just as rotten as her mother, he now saw it as a cry for help.
“We wanted to talk with you, see where things are with…Connie.” The name sounded odd in James’ ear and felt even weirder on his tongue. It’s the first time he’d said his daughter’s name out loud.
“We’re still working on it. Misty might be going away for a long time, so I’m all she’s got.” Ryan said as he watched their faces.
The woman seemed torn, but the guy seemed reserved. “We just wanted to let you know that we’re willing to help out in any way we can. I’m not sure if we can take her right now, but…”
“She’s not a cat or a dog. If you can’t commit one hundred percent, then there’s no point in any of this right now, is there?”
Ryan knew he was being a jerk. After all, hadn’t he denied her as well? But the kid had had way too many knocks already in her young life, and maybe it was time the adults in her life stepped up and changed that shit. From the way James looked at his wife, it was obvious who was the undecided one here, who was the one still on the fence.
“I think you should both leave for now until…” He started to lead them back towards the door, which was only a few short feet away, but James stopped him short. “No, I want to meet her, talk to her.” Cora flinched at the assertive tone in her husband’s voice; she knew what it meant. It’s true that she was still a bit undecided about all of this. It wasn’t easy accepting that their lives had come full circle because of her husband’s unwanted bastard.
She hated herself for thinking this way, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to get over the fact that the woman she hated most in this world had been able to give her husband a child when she couldn’t. The girl was and will only be a constant reminder of her failure as a woman, something she wasn’t sure she was ready to deal with or ever will be.
