Like him.
I walk up to the side of the casket and look in. He’s not exactly handsome, but he might have been once. I think he must have broken a lot of hearts in his day, whether he knew it or not. He has black hair with little bits of silver at his temples and just barely around his forehead. I can see a little bit of myself in his face, and it makes my heart ache.
I stare. This is where I come from. This is one of the two people who brought me into this world. This is my father, and it’s the last time that I will ever see him again. My heart feels like it’s in between beating right out of my chest and stopping, frozen in place. I am brimming with so much emotion.
Not knowing what to do or how to feel, I turn away from the coffin and look at my new aunt and uncle.
Ellen pats the seat beside her. “Come here, Teddy. Come and sit with us.”
I nod and go to her. It’s strange to be here, to be suddenly thrust into this family that I once stole an identity from, but it’s also comforting in a strange way.
We listen as people speak, and I soak in all that I can, realizing that I’m getting to know my father at his burial service. When it’s done, Ellen and Dane insist that I ride back to their home in the limousine with them, and Eli follows us in the car. I’m not sure which vehicle I’d rather be in. It all feels so unbelievably strange.
The whole time, I just avoid looking at any one thing too long. If I keep looking away, the tears can’t threaten to spill over and onto my cheeks.
We arrive at the White’s house, and it’s massive. It’s the biggest house I’ve ever seen, and I can’t imagine only one family living in it. It’s a marble and stone palace, almost. A mansion among mansions, not that I’ve seen a lot of mansions.
Tons of people stream into the home, and the White’s talk with them, feeding them and visiting with them until everyone finally filters out. They introduce me to endless people as Paul’s daughter, and everyone is appropriately shocked. I catch several judgmental looks, but no one can deny the resemblance.
Eventually, I just hide from everyone. I stick to corners and shove finger foods in my mouth every time someone tries to ask me how I fit into it all.
I’ve been so confused about how to deal it with the entire time. I don’t know what to say. Maybe I should have brought Wills and Blair along after all … but then, I’d rather not have to explain that too.
My new aunt and uncle aren’t exactly the most gracious hosts—but I don’t blame them. I’m not the most gracious guest. I just wait until the last of the mourners drive away, leaving a strange, hollow feeling inside.
I don’t even know we’re alone until I wander back out to the main hall and spot Ellen and Dane sitting at the bottom of a curved staircase. I imagine the great hall here has seen better days. They look exhausted—weary and red-eyed, when I clear my throat and peer back at them from the dark piano room to the side.
As I watch, my new aunt rests her head briefly on his shoulder. She looks older, tired. He pats her on the arm and she too
leaves, complaining of a headache. I don’t blame her. I wish I could slip away too, pop an aspirin or something stronger, and just forget all this.
Now it’s just me and Dane.
“Should I go now too?” I ask, bluntly. This whole thing is so strange. I don’t know what’s the right thing to do. I don’t know if there is a right thing to do.
“Not yet,” Dane says, spotting me and getting to his feet. “Not until we talk about your inheritance.”
Dane has me sit before his desk in his massive oak office, and he takes his big, fancy chair behind it. Eli came along as well, which I’m grateful for. I’m still struggling to wrap my head around what he’s trying to tell me.
I stare at him and blink stupidly. “My … my what?” I know I heard him wrong.
Dane leans forward and rests his elbows on his desk. “My brother, Paul, left everything to charity in his will.”
“Oh,” I say, my mind still reeling. “I mean, I didn’t think—”
He holds up a hand to stop me. “No, please, you misunderstand. Let me finish.”
My uncle begins to chronicle a bit of my father’s life for me.
“Paul was a good man. A truly good man. He was fair and kind to everyone he ever knew. He never held his wealth or his position over anyone, and he was the first person to lend a hand if there was someone in need. He had a generous soul and a keen mind. One of the best minds this world has ever known.”
My heart feels like it’s going to drop through the floor. I listen and the image of my father begins to form in my mind. Between the speeches earlier at the funeral, and this, I think I’m beginning to know him.
“As soon as Paul found out, he was desperate to meet you. He was devastated that you spent your life so far in foster homes. It broke his heart.”
He glances down now at his hands, and he looks guilty. “I have to admit, I wasn’t thrilled when we found out. I told him to leave it be. To forget.” He clears his throat. “I’m glad to say that he didn’t.”
Dane slides one of the drawers on his desk open and pulls out a file. He looks at me even more seriously, if that’s possible. “As soon as he found out you existed and that you were indeed his daughter, he made legal changes regarding his estate immediately. You are now his sole heir.”