I found myself nodding and agreeing with him, even though I’d never seen a picture of the woman who gave birth to me.
“I wish she was here to see you all grown but I’m sure she’s smiling down on us from heaven today.”
Joe tried to wipe the tear from my cheek, which made me automatically wipe my own face. “It’s nice to finally know where I got my eyes from.”
He smiled wider, making me wonder what else we had in common.
While I gave his wife, Jill, a hug, Ryan and Joe shook hands and exchanged greetings.
After a nice lunch, Ryan extended an invitation for them to come back to our suite.
Marie was doing a wonderful job keeping the two young girls entertained while Ryan and I sat with Joe and his wife to have a private conversation.
Joe appeared sincere but cautious. “I can only imagine how hard this must be on you, finding out like that. I was under the impression that your dad destroyed all the records.
I never thought he’d keep them.” I took a sip of my coffee, trying to disconnect myself a bit from the emotional overload. “He had it all together in a safe-deposit box.”
Joe nodded. “My letters and everything?” I set my cup down. “There was about two thousand dollars as well.”
He scratched his head, mashing his lips together for a moment. “I’d always wondered if you got the money I’d sent. Figures your dad wouldn’t spend a dime of it. Probably thought it was drug money or something.” Drug money?
His hand rubbed over his mouth. “I had some problems before I went into the army.
Let’s just say Uncle Sam kicked that shit out of my system quickly.”
I had no doubt about that. “I have savings bonds for both your girls. I want them to have the two thousand dollars.” Joe held out a hand, ready to rebuke me, but I spoke over him. “Joe, it’s for their future. I appreciate your generosity, but it’s not necessary.”
Joe’s wife, Jill, overrode his disapproval.
“Thank you, Taryn. That is very thoughtful of you. The girls will be going off to college before we know it so we’ll make sure it goes to good use.” Jill looked over at Ryan. “Although meeting you is going to be priceless to them. They haven’t shut up about it since we told them. Our oldest thought we were playing a practical joke on her up until the moment you walked into that dining room. I can’t thank you enough for all that you’ve given my family today.”
Ryan smiled but waved it off as no big deal. “I’ll make sure they get some pictures of us together to take back with them.” Both Joe and his wife seemed exceptionally pleased by that. Then Joe turned his attention back to me, studying me as if I were made of glass. “You probably have so many questions now.”
That was an understatement. “I have so many questions, I don’t know where to even begin.”
Joe rested his elbows on his knees. “Ask me anything. Jill has a right to know, as well.
I know I shocked the hell out of her, too”—he reached over and took his wife’s hand—“but like I told her, I never thought I’d see you again, so what would be the point of upset-ting her.”
Jill gave him a reassuring smile, rubbing the back of his hand. “I’m not upset. You were a teenager, Joe.”
Joe shrugged, seeming to want to atone for his sins. “A kid that got his teen girlfriend pregnant.”
Ryan crossed his foot up on his knee and reached for my hand. “And for that, I thank you,” he said, pulling my hand up to his mouth to grace me with a kiss. “You created the woman I love. There is no better gift than that.”
Something silent seemed to pass between the two men, a mutual understanding of sorts.
Joe seemed relieved. “At least I did something right. I’m glad to know she’s in such good hands.”
I felt a blush warm my cheeks. I was in the best of hands. How vastly different my life could have turned out had my parents not given me up. Bits and pieces of the army letters Joe had written to me came swirling back. All of them hinted at the fact that Joe was a bit of a hellion when he was a teenager.
I squeezed Ryan’s hand. “You dated Kelcie in high school?”
Joe glanced at his wife, silently seeking her approval to talk about this. She gave him a thoughtful smile in return. “Yeah. She sat by me in math class. I used to cheat off her paper. We were fifteen when we started going steady.”
I could see he was recalling fond memories.
“We were like kindred spirits; both of us were hell-raisers who hated our parents.