mother.
“Then
maybe you should return them or ask Mark to take them.”
“No,
I still think there’s hope for the two of you. I’ve asked him for dinner on
Tuesday, and I want you to be there.”
“I
have a date.”
That
had slipped out before she’d realized it.
“A
date. Last week you were getting married, and this week you have a date?” asked
her mother.
“Well,
it’s sort of seeing-the-Christmas-lights-with-someone sort of date.”
“Really?”
asked her mother. She stood and put her coat back on. “I’m not sure who I
raised, but you’ve changed, Maddie.”
Her
father looked at Maddie and shrugged his shoulders.
“I
expect you at the house at six-thirty p.m., and dinner will be served promptly
at seven p.m.”
“If
I attend, I’ll have to bring Brody with me.”
“Brody.
What sort of parents give their child a name like Brody?”
****
“Son,
how are things going in Riker’s Creek?”
Brody
loved hearing the voice of his father. Ted would always be his dad. He’d been
the man who’d sang and read to him. Sat with him when he’d had colds and flu.
Consoled him when he didn’t make the softball team in junior high. The man who
sat down and told him all about the birds and the bees, bought him his first
pack of condoms and bottle of beer. The man who’d told him there were plenty
more fish in the sea when he’d come home with a broken heart. The man who’d
assured him one day he’d find a woman who loved him as much as he loved her.
Mike, Johnny, or Branndon would never be able to do any of that. He and Ted had
a history that DNA couldn’t deny or take away. He knew it must have been the
toughest thing for Ted to have to reveal he wasn’t his true father.
“Your
mother never wanted you to know, but fate has a funny way of bringing the truth
to light,” Ted had told him at the hospital when it became clear Brody would need
a new kidney.
Ted
had wrapped his hands around Brody’s. A
tear had dropped from his eye.
“Son, I’m not your real father. Your
mother was pregnant when we met.”
Brody
swallowed, recalling the shock he’d felt knowing this wonderful man hadn’t been
responsible for making him. His mother had even told him they’d picked his name
because it had been Ted’s mother’s maiden name.
“I’ve
met all three men, and they’ve agreed to the DNA test,” said Brody, not wanting
to recall the sadness he’d felt about Ted’s revelation.
“I’m
so glad to hear that, son. Your mother would be relieved, because if she were alive,
I know she’d be riddled with guilt.”
Brody
knew that too. He’d been lucky enough to have wonderful parents who’d done
anything and everything for their son.
“I
hope you’re going to come and spend Christmas Eve and Day with me.”
“I
wouldn’t miss it for the world,” said Brody. In the back of his mind was the
thought it could be his last.
“You’re
going to have to tell me what you want this year. I haven’t got a clue. Your
mother was always so good with that sort of thing.”
He
was right. She knew exactly what he and Ted wanted without even asking them.
“And
what can I get you?” asked Brody.
“Nothing
for me, but just a new kidney for you,” said Ted.
“I
mean, besides that. I need something to put under the tree, or it won’t seem
like a real Christmas.”
“Then
anything to satisfy my fly fishing obsession will be fine.”
His
father loved to fish. It was the only thing that Brody hadn’t shared a love
for, well, not quite yet.
“You
passing the time okay there?” asked Ted.
“I’ve
been catching up on my reading, and I did meet a nice young woman.”
That
came out before he’d intended it to. Not that he didn’t want Ted to know about
Maddie, but he didn’t want him reading anything into it.
“Really.
Is it the sort of relationship where I might need to meet her to give my
approval?”
“It’s
just casual, and she’s been very supportive of me.”
“I’m
glad to
“Then
maybe you should return them or ask Mark to take them.”
“No,
I still think there’s hope for the two of you. I’ve asked him for dinner on
Tuesday, and I want you to be there.”
“I
have a date.”
That
had slipped out before she’d realized it.
“A
date. Last week you were getting married, and this week you have a date?” asked
her mother.
“Well,
it’s sort of seeing-the-Christmas-lights-with-someone sort of date.”
“Really?”
asked her mother. She stood and put her coat back on. “I’m not sure who I
raised, but you’ve changed, Maddie.”
Her
father looked at Maddie and shrugged his shoulders.
“I
expect you at the house at six-thirty p.m., and dinner will be served promptly
at seven p.m.”
“If
I attend, I’ll have to bring Brody with me.”
“Brody.
What sort of parents give their child a name like Brody?”
****
“Son,
how are things going in Riker’s Creek?”
Brody
loved hearing the voice of his father. Ted would always be his dad. He’d been
the man who’d sang and read to him. Sat with him when he’d had colds and flu.
Consoled him when he didn’t make the softball team in junior high. The man who
sat down and told him all about the birds and the bees, bought him his first
pack of condoms and bottle of beer. The man who’d told him there were plenty
more fish in the sea when he’d come home with a broken heart. The man who’d
assured him one day he’d find a woman who loved him as much as he loved her.
Mike, Johnny, or Branndon would never be able to do any of that. He and Ted had
a history that DNA couldn’t deny or take away. He knew it must have been the
toughest thing for Ted to have to reveal he wasn’t his true father.
“Your
mother never wanted you to know, but fate has a funny way of bringing the truth
to light,” Ted had told him at the hospital when it became clear Brody would need
a new kidney.
Ted
had wrapped his hands around Brody’s. A
tear had dropped from his eye.
“Son, I’m not your real father. Your
mother was pregnant when we met.”
Brody
swallowed, recalling the shock he’d felt knowing this wonderful man hadn’t been
responsible for making him. His mother had even told him they’d picked his name
because it had been Ted’s mother’s maiden name.
“I’ve
met all three men, and they’ve agreed to the DNA test,” said Brody, not wanting
to recall the sadness he’d felt about Ted’s revelation.
“I’m
so glad to hear that, son. Your mother would be relieved, because if she were alive,
I know she’d be riddled with guilt.”
Brody
knew that too. He’d been lucky enough to have wonderful parents who’d done
anything and everything for their son.
“I
hope you’re going to come and spend Christmas Eve and Day with me.”
“I
wouldn’t miss it for the world,” said Brody. In the back of his mind was the
thought it could be his last.
“You’re
going to have to tell me what you want this year. I haven’t got a clue. Your
mother was always so good with that sort of thing.”
He
was right. She knew exactly what he and Ted wanted without even asking them.
“And
what can I get you?” asked Brody.
“Nothing
for me, but just a new kidney for you,” said Ted.
“I
mean, besides that. I need something to put under the tree, or it won’t seem
like a real Christmas.”
“Then
anything to satisfy my fly fishing obsession will be fine.”
His
father loved to fish. It was the only thing that Brody hadn’t shared a love
for, well, not quite yet.
“You
passing the time okay there?” asked Ted.
“I’ve
been catching up on my reading, and I did meet a nice young woman.”
That
came out before he’d intended it to. Not that he didn’t want Ted to know about
Maddie, but he didn’t want him reading anything into it.
“Really.
Is it the sort of relationship where I might need to meet her to give my
approval?”
“It’s
just casual, and she’s been very supportive of me.”
“I’m
glad to
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