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“Is everything okay, son?” my father asked, his brow furrowed in concern. “Are you hiding some debt from us or something?”
“No.” I set my fork and knife down and sighed. I didn’t really know how to tell my parents about the letter. They’d been heartbroken about Piper when we’d given her up, and I didn’t want to upset them or give them any false hope. “I got a letter from Piper today.”
The clanging of silverware on plates filled the room, then silence. After a few moments, my dad asked, “What did it say?”
I pulled the letter from my pocket and handed it to him. Once he read it, he handed the creased paper to my mom. Her eyes gleamed with emotion as they scanned the page.
When she finished, she glanced up at me. “Do you really think it’s her?”
“I’m not sure.”
My father reached across the table and grabbed my mother’s hand. “What are you going to do?”
I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed again. “I don’t know. I was going to contact Liv and see what she thinks.”
My mother frowned. “You already know the answer to that.”
“People change, Mom. It’s been years since she left. She may feel differently now.”
My mom shook her head but didn’t respond. The whole situation with Liv had hurt her deeply. They were really close until the adoption, then Liv shut everyone out, including me.
“Well, we’ll support whatever decision you make, son,” my dad said.
I nodded. “Thank you.”
When we’d told our parents about Liv being pregnant, her father was the only one that was completely against keeping Piper. My parents were understandably upset about our carelessness but they didn’t want to give up their grandchild.
Liv was so afraid of her father that she didn’t want to upset him more by trying to convince him to let us keep Piper. And I didn’t want to cause her more stress and problems so I went along with the adoption.
And I’d regretted it ever since.
That night, I couldn’t sleep. My mind was racing with thoughts of Piper and Liv. I’d love to meet my daughter, but I was afraid of Liv’s reaction. Her response to the adoption was to shut down and pretend nothing had happened, so I wasn’t sure if she would be open to meeting Piper.
I sighed as I stared up at the ceiling. I’d give anything to go back in time and fight harder for Liv, for Piper, and for us. Our lives would be completely different if I had.
* * *
I stood outside Liv’s house, throwing small rocks at her window on the second floor. There was a garden trellis against the house that was perfect for climbing up to her room at night.
After a few seconds, Liv appeared in the window. My heart sped up just from the sight of her.
She opened her window and stuck her head out. “All clear,” she whisper-yelled.
I smiled and started climbing. She’d had my heart from the first moment I saw her.
It was her freshman year in high school, my sophomore year. She was trying out for the cheerleading squad during our first football practice. Her strawberry blond hair was braided down her back, and she had green eyes and the cutest smattering of freckles across her nose.
She was the prettiest girl I’d ever seen.
After practice, I approached her as she and some of the other girls were heading back toward the gym. She gave me the same nervous smile she had during her tryouts, and her eyes sparkled as she looked up at me.
We exchanged numbers and started hanging out every day at lunch and after school. I’d walk her to her classes, then walk her home after practice.
Everything had been perfect. Then, after two years of dating, it all went to hell.
When I finally reached her bedroom, Liv giggled. Her laugh was my favorite sound in the world, especially when I was the cause of it.
She threw her arms around me as soon as I made it through the window. I leaned down to kiss her, making her giggle more.
