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I’d made a lot of mistakes. Maybe I’d harbored too much resentment. Because of Penelope and JoJo, maybe I could begin to repair the damage.
“I’m . . .” I didn’t know how to answer. What did I feel?
“What’s wrong?” Dad barked.
What I once would’ve taken as criticism, I now heard as a hint of fear in his voice.
“The past couple of weeks . . . I’ve gotten a bit of shocking news. I didn’t want to do this over the phone—”
“Are you sick, Kane?” Mom asked.
“Not me.”
“Alma?” Dad grated out.
They didn’t much care for her and what little they knew of our marriage.
“I have a daughter,” I said in a rush.
“What?” Mom’s shock was palpable through the phone.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Dad asked sharply. “When can we meet her?”
And in that moment, I let go of every ill feeling I had toward the man. He wanted to know Penelope. That was all that was important.
“She’s been in a terrible accident.” My voice wavered as I said it out loud. “If you can, I’d like you to come see her. She’s in a private facility.”
“Where?” Dad asked.
I rattled off the name and address.
“We’ll be there as soon as we can,” Mom said.
“See you soon.”
I hung up and sagged against the wall.
They were coming. When I needed them—when Penelope needed them—they dropped everything.
I hadn’t expected that.
Maybe I’d been wrong about them too.
Growing up, they'd always supported me, even if Dad had a stern hand. They'd pushed me to do well in school, to focus on a career, to start a family.
I’d disappointed them with my choice to be a defense lawyer. It had caused a rift between us because I hadn't felt good enough.
Then Alma had presented an opportunity to bridge the gap between us. I’d married her in hopes of satisfying my parents’ desire for me to have a family. To give them a reason to be proud of me.
Instead of making them happy and bringing us together, it had only driven us further apart.
I'd played a part in our lack of relationship. I’d been too busy working to see them. I couldn’t admit my marriage was a disaster. And I didn’t want to see their disappointment in me as a man.
Maybe I'd been wrong.
I took a minute to gather myself. The call had rattled me.
But it was time to let the past go.
