“Of course … In a couple days I’ll be heading to Cherry Springs. My family always gets together for Labor Day weekend, and I’d like to bring Christopher with me, so he can meet everyone.”
When she straightened in her chair and looked like she was going to oppose, I held up my hand and said quickly, “I’d like you to come too.”
I could tell I’d shocked her when her mouth closed and she stared at me suspiciously.
“I’m not trying to swoop in here and take our son away from you. I know how close you are, and I appreciate everything you’ve done to give him a happy life. He’s a great kid, Chloe, and that’s mostly due to you. I’m not trying to change that. But now that I know about him, I want a chance to get to know him and be there for him too, and I’d really like for him to get to know my family. I know it’s soon, and you probably wouldn’t be comfortable sending him off, so I’m asking if you’ll come along. I’m sure it would put him at ease to have you there, and you’d feel better being able to watch over him.”
“Don’t you think that would be a little strange?”
“No, it’ll be fine. My family knows what happened. They know about Chris and they’re eager to meet him. You guys can stay at my house, or if you’d rather, I can put you up in the local B & B.”
“Can I think about it?”
“Of course,” I said, then added, “I plan to ask your sister to come along as well. I’m not sure if she will or not, but if so, at least that’s one more friendly face.”
I knew they hadn’t mended fences yet, but Chloe just nodded.
“Then, once the trip home is done, I’m going to look into getting a house here, so I can be closer to Chris. We can work on a visitation schedule and everything then, if that works for you.”
“You’d do that?” she asked, her eyes filling and her face softening. For the first time, she reminded me of the girl I’d met all those years ago. “You’d move here for him?”
“Absolutely,” I stated. “And I want our relationship to be a good one, Chloe. Open lines of communication. If there are rules, I want to know them. If you have an issue with something I do, please, tell me right away. I think it’s important, for Christopher, that we have a positive and healthy relationship.”
Chloe let out a deep breath and said, “I’d like that,” then her body went tight at the sound of a door slamming in the distance.
“Mom, I’m back!” Christopher shouted. “Whose car’s out front?”
“Let’s move to the living room,” she said, rising quickly and going out to head off our son.
My nerves were suddenly alive and dancing furiously within me as I worried what Chris’s reaction may be.
Chris looked up as soon as I stepped out of Chloe’s office, confusion, then excitement lighting his face.
“Couch Lewis?” he asked, practically sprinting over to me. He stopped before crashing into me, then tilted his head and asked, “Are you here to see Aunt Z, ‘cause she hasn’t been over in a while?”
“Please, come sit,” Chloe said, herding us into the family room.
I waited until we were all seated to say, “Actually, Chris, I’m here to see you.”
“Really? Awesome!” he exclaimed, then turned to his mom. “Did you know he was coming?”
“Yeah, buddy, I did,” Chloe looked nervously at me, then cleared her throat and reached over to take her son’s hand. “We have something we need to tell you.”
His face cleared of excitement, and when the fear took its place, I realized he thought we were about to lay some terrible news at his feet … probably about Zoey.
“I’m your father,” I blurted. Just like that, causing Chloe to shoot me a look. “Sorry,” I told her, then looked at Chris, who was staring at me as if I’d just grown another head. “I didn’t know until a few weeks ago, or I swear, I would have been there for you. I’d like to be here for you now.”
Christopher was silent and I could almost see the thoughts tumbling around in his head as he tried to compute what I’d just said.
“You didn’t know?” he asked. “When I was at camp … you didn’t know then?”
“No, Chris, I didn’t. Your mom told me that last day. I had to finish out the weeks I had scheduled at camp. You know, all of those kids signed up and paid to be there … but as soon as I finished everything up, I flew out to be with you. We, your mom and I, agreed that we wanted to tell you in person. I’m sorry that I had to wait all of those weeks.”
“But you knew,” Chris said accusingly to his mother. “You knew all of this time …You lied to me.”
“Christopher,” Chloe pleaded, but Chris didn’t want to hear it.
“All of these years, every time I asked who my dad was … you lied. You knew it was him all the time. We watched his games and you bought me his posters,” Chris’s voice was thick with emotion, and he wiped angrily at the tears on his cheek. “You lied to everyone. Aunt Z. Grandma. Grandpa. Coach … I mean Mr. … Gabriel Lewis … all of us. Why?”