“We do. And the same nose. And according to your mom, we both stick our tongue out a little when we’re thinking really hard.”
Lucas touched his own face, then looked at Nathan’s face.
“You’re really my dad?”
“I really am,”
Nathan said. Lucas was quiet for a long time. Nathan and Evelyn waited, letting him process everything. Finally, Lucas asked.
“If you’re my dad, why did you stay away? Even if you thought Mom was dead, you could have looked for me. You could have tried to find out if she had a baby.”
It was a fair question. A smart question. And it deserved an honest answer.
“You’re right,”
Nathan said.
“I should have looked harder. I should have asked more questions. I should have never just accepted what I was told. And I will regret that for the rest of my life.”
He moved to kneel in front of Lucas, so they were eye to eye.
“But I can’t change the past. I can’t get back the eight years I missed. All I can do is promise you that from now on, I will be here every day for as long as you want me.”
“What if I don’t want you?”
Lucas asked. His voice was small and hurt.
“What if I’m mad at you for not being here?”
“Then I’ll understand,”
Nathan said.
“And I’ll still be here. Because that’s what dads do. They don’t leave when things get hard. They stay.”
Lucas’s eyes filled with tears.
“Everyone always leaves. Kids at school, their dads leave all the time. They promise they’ll come back and then they don’t.”
“I know,”
Nathan said.
“And I know I’m asking you to trust me when I haven’t earned that trust yet. But I promise you, Lucas, I’m not going anywhere. Ever.”
A tear rolled down Lucas’s cheek.
“Do you promise?”
“I promise,”
Nathan said.
“Cross my heart.”
Lucas looked at his mother.
“Mom, is he telling the truth? Will he really stay?”
Evelyn wiped her own tears.
“I think he will, baby. I really do.”
Lucas turned back to Nathan. For a long moment, he just looked at him. Then slowly, he reached out and touched Nathan’s face. Like he was checking to make sure Nathan was real.
“You’re really my dad,”
Lucas whispered.
“I’m really your dad,”
Nathan whispered back. And then Lucas did something Nathan didn’t expect. He threw his arms around Nathan’s neck and hugged him tight. Nathan hugged him back, tears streaming down his face. This little boy. His son. His child. Who he’d never held as a baby, never tucked into bed, never read stories to. But he was holding him now. And that was a start.
“I’m sorry,”
Nathan whispered into Lucas’s hair.
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t there.”
“It’s okay,”
Lucas said, his voice muffled against Nathan’s shoulder.
“You’re here now.”
They stayed like that for a long time. Evelyn watched them, crying happy tears for the first time in 8 years. Finally, Lucas pulled back. His face was wet with tears, but he was smiling a little.
“Can I ask you something?”
he said to Nathan.
“Anything,”
Nathan said.
“Do I have to call you Dad right away? Or can I call you Nathan for a while until I get used to it?”
Nathan smiled.
“You can call me whatever you want. Nathan is fine. Hey, you is fine. Whatever makes you comfortable.”
Lucas nodded.
“Okay, Nathan.”
Then he thought of something else.
“Do you know how to play basketball?”
Nathan laughed.
“Yes. I used to play in high school.”
“Will you teach me?”
Lucas asked.
“I’m not very good. The other kids at school are way better.”
“I would love to teach you,”
Nathan said.
“We can start tomorrow if you want.”
“Really?”
Lucas’s whole face lit up.
“Really,”
Nathan said.
“Tomorrow after school, we’ll go to the park and practice.”
Lucas grinned. Then his smile faded a little.
“Nathan? Are you rich?”
Nathan was surprised by the question.
“Um, yes. I have money. Why?”
“Mom works really hard,”
Lucas said seriously.
“Two jobs. And sometimes she cries when she thinks I’m asleep because the bills are too much. Can you help her so she doesn’t have to work so hard?”
Nathan looked at Evelyn. She looked embarrassed.
“Lucas, that’s not Nathan’s responsibility,”
she started.
“Yes, it is,”
Nathan interrupted gently.
“Lucas, your mom has been taking care of you all by herself for 8 years. She’s been working two jobs and struggling and doing everything she could to give you a good life. That’s my fault. I should have been here helping. So yes. I’m going to help now.”
He looked at Evelyn.
“I’m going to take care of both of you. Not because I have to, because I want to. Because you’re my family.”
Evelyn wiped her eyes.
“Nathan, I don’t want your money. I just want.”
“I know,”
Nathan said.
“You just want to be safe. You just want Lucas to have a good life. And I’m going to make sure that happens.”
He turned back to Lucas.
“And yes, I’ll help your mom so she doesn’t have to work two jobs anymore. So she can rest. So she can spend more time with you.”
Lucas hugged him again.
“Thank you.”
Over Lucas’s shoulder, Nathan looked at Evelyn. She mouthed the words,
“Thank you.”
Nathan nodded. This was just the beginning. There was so much more to do, so much more to fix. But for now, this was enough. His son was in his arms. His family was safe. And the lies that had destroyed everything were finally over.
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