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“And your cheekbones and beautiful mouth.”
“Holy shit.” I sank onto the mattress, staring at the floor. “We’re parents, Kane.” Tears streamed down my cheeks while I desperately tried to remember being pregnant and having Conner, but I couldn’t grasp onto a memory anywhere.
“Brie, I know a lot will change, but I’m thrilled to have Conner. He’s the good part of both of us. He’s a smart, good kid from what I’ve seen. Even if Rodger and Carolyn had told you the truth, you might have blocked it out. Conner needed stability and care that you weren’t able to give him yet. We can now.”
“Poor baby is going to be so confused when he finds out. I don’t even know how to tell him. He’s been with Mom and Dad since he was born. Shit, I can’t even make sense of this, how is a five-year-old supposed to?” I hiccupped.
Kane pulled me against him, stroking my back as I cried into his clean shirt.
“We’ll figure it out. I think Alida will be able to help, too. Our parents know, so they’ll help us make the right decision about the next steps.”
“Coach and Amelia know?” I wiped the moisture from my cheeks and sat up.
“They suspected as soon as your family arrived on Thanksgiving. We all did,” he gently explained.
“How did I miss it, then?” I clenched my fists, furious with myself.
“My guess is that your amnesia had something to do with it. Part of the time, you knew that I was familiar, and I was, but you spent the last five years with a little guy that looks a lot like me. I’ve been with you all this time, baby, just as a mini-me.”
What he said made sense, but it didn’t stop the burning sensation in my chest. Conner was mine and Kane’s. Holy shit, I had a son. I wasn’t sure how to process the news until my racing pulse slowed, my thoughts quieted, and acceptance trumped the crazy and overwhelming feelings.
“It’s time to talk to your family.” Kane kissed my forehead and cupped my face. “No matter what happens, babe, I love you, and I want to be in Conner’s life. He’s our son, and out of all the hell we lived through, he was made out of love.”
I grabbed his hand, his words grounding me. “I love you, too. I’m just terrified I’ll be a horrible mother.”
Kane’s smile was sweet and filled with love. “Brie, that’s not even possible. You clearly have a great relationship with him. Rodger and Carolyn said you’ve helped raise him. Stayed up at night when he was teething, fed him, changed his diaper, and played with him. Somewhere in your heart, I think you realized Conner was ours.”
I knew Kane was right, but it didn’t mean I wasn’t scared shitless about what our future looked like. Then I reminded myself it wasn’t just ours. It was Conner’s, too, and that little boy deserved nothing but the best. He’d been the light in my dark world and taught me what real, unconditional love was all about until I reconnected with Kane. Now I would do anything to protect my guys from whatever the world might throw at them. But I knew we were stronger together … as a family.
Before I was able to process the news further, a FaceTime call rang on my phone. I glanced at Kane. “It’s Mom and Dad.” I tapped the icon to answer, and their faces filled my screen.
“Hey.” I nervously tucked my hair behind my ear. I had no idea how this conversation would play out. “Kane just told me everything about Conner.”
“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry it all came out like this. I’m so sorry if we hurt you,” Mom said, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“I’m not mad. You and Dad had to make the best decisions you could in a crappy situation.”
“It weighed on us heavily, Brie. We were terrified that when you learned the truth it would tear us all apart.” Dad ran a hand through his hair, clearly upset.
I shook my head. “No, you and Mom are the reason that I was able to be with Conner. You kept us together in a loving, safe home. I only hope I can continue to do the same with my son.”
Kane reached for my arm and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“You and Kane will be amazing parents, honey. You already are a wonderful mother to Conner,” Mom explained.
Overwhelmed with gratitude, tears welled in my eyes. “How are we going to do this? How are we going to help Conner with the truth? Mom, Dad, I can’t do this without you. There has to be a better way than living halfway across the country from each other.”
“First, we all need to have a Zoom call and talk to Conner, but I think it will help him if we have a plan in place,” Dad suggested.
“I agree,” Kane said.
“I’m sorry, baby. I should have included you in the call.” Slightly embarrassed that I’d been so self-absorbed, I adjusted my phone so my parents could see Kane as well.
Over the next hour, we discussed how and when we would tell Conner the truth and what the plan looked like. It would be a transition for all of us, but we were ready.
ChapterFifty-Four
Brie Six Months Later
