Page 63 of Every Hidden Truth

One minute ago, he’d sent another.

Ben: It’s midnight! Happy Birthday, Si.

Before I could respond, my dad re-entered the house, and I tucked my phone away as he walked into the kitchen with a large cardboard box in his hands. I recognized the logo immediately.

“Mrs. Kolkowski picked it up for me.”

I clapped my hands and accepted the box, setting it on the counter next to me and lifting the lid. A blue moon ice cream cake stared up at me, orange writing scrawled across it, reading,Happy Birthday, Silas.

“Awesome. Thanks, Dad.” I accepted the fork he’d preemptively retrieved for me. “Want some?”

Brandishing his own fork, he nodded. “Well, I didn’t think you’d eat all of it.”

“Oh, I could.” I dug into the edge, moaning in delight at the delicious flavor mixing with the cookie crust.

After five minutes of stuffing our faces quietly, Dad broke the stillness. “You should invite Ben over tomorrow for yourbirthday. We can go out for dinner or eat here, whatever you want.”

I froze with my fork halfway to my mouth, eyes narrowing warily. “It can just be us two.”

“It’s your birthday, so it’s up to you.” He shrugged, scrutinizing his fork as I licked at my bite of ice cream. “But I’d like to get to know him.”

Unable to meet his gaze, I feigned interest in the cake. “Really?”

Coughing throatily, he took another bite. “Of course. I mean, he’s important to you, isn’t he?”

When my eyes jumped to his, his head tilted in question, and my word vomit spewed from my lips. “But he’s a boy.”

Dad stiffened momentarily, studying his fork as he mulled over his bite. He swallowed, then said, “I know. I thought that was kind of a requirement for you.”

“Well, yeah.” I dropped my eyes timidly, my neck heating for the millionth time tonight. “I just thought—I mean, you never said, but—I guess, I just assumed…”

What was I trying to say? Even I didn’t know. But it didn’t matter because his warm calloused hand on my wrist stopped my stutters.

“Silas, you’re my son, and who you love doesn’t change that.” His voice thickened with emotion, and my eyes stung as I tentatively reinstated eye contact. Sadness aged his face, deepening the wrinkles on his brow and around his eyes. “I’m sorry I never told you that. I thought you knew.”

“Of course I know that, Dad.”

His fingers tightened on my wrist as he forced his eyes not to waver from mine. “I love you, Silas, regardless of whether you like girls, boys, or… trees.”

Snorting, I rolled my eyes and fought the emotion threatening to overwhelm me. “What a relief. There’s a nice dogwood down the street I’ve been wanting you to meet.”

With a grunt, he cuffed the side of my head before I could dodge. “You always were a smartass.”

“Will taught me well.”

“Sure, sure. Lord knows you didn’t get it from me.” He opened his briefcase and sifted through the contents. Pulling out a rectangle wrapped in newspaper, he offered it to me. “I, uh, have this for you too.”

“Ooh, presents!” I cheered, clapping my hands at the gift and the escape from our emotional exchange. “Gimme, gimme!”

Inspecting the wrapped gift, I rolled it over in my hands before shaking it lightly, earning me an impatient grunt from my dad. I unwrapped the newspaper to reveal a plain black box. A jewelry box?

Inside, nestled in black velvet cushioning, was a watch. It had a plain black leather band and a white face with black lines marking the hours instead of numbers. The sapphire glass reflected my awed expression, and the silver-plated back was engraved with my name. It was simple, yet it was utter perfection; I loved it.

Dad gave Will a watch for his eighteenth birthday, a tradition for the men in the Brigs family, and now I had mine. It was a small, humble gesture, and my eyes burned. Not that I hadn’t expected Dad to get me one, but it somehow managed to surprise me. The small, insecure boy I pretended not to be wanted to cry in delight.

“Will said I should get you one with all the bells and whistles, but I thought you’d like this better.” Dad shifted his weight, unsure. “But if you don’t like it, we can trade it for something else.”

“I love it, Dad.” I set the box on the counter, ensuring it was secure, before hopping down and throwing my arms around his waist. “It’s perfect.”

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