Page 120 of The Only Heart that Matters

Releasing me, she turns to her brother. “Your only job in life is to make them happy.”

He reaches out to her with his free arm and squeezes her to his side. “That’s the plan.”

“When are you going to tell everyone else?” Her question is more like a demand.

“Soon,” Angus and I say in unison.

“What do you mean, you knew?”

“Sweetheart, Sharon and I have known since he was a baby who Sawyer’s daddy was. Have you not seen Knox’s baby photos? It’s quite clear.”

On my way to work this morning I called Mom. I’d been avoiding her since the incident with Rhen, but I’m spinning and I need her. As happy as I am that Angus and Daisy have my back, there is a firestorm ahead and not having Mom's shoulder to cry on has been hard.

This morning, I practiced what I would say to her when I called, agonizing over exactly how to break the news. I told her about my lifetime of loving Angus, to getting knocked up by his brother and now embarking on a life with Angus. And here she is, showing no signs of surprise whatsoever.

About any of it.

What in the world?

“If you knew about Knox, why didn’t you ever say anything?”

“I asked you who the father was until I was blue in the face. You refused to tell me, so I let it go. Then one Sunday dinner at the McKinnon’s, when Sawyer was about six months old, I was standing by the fireplace, showing him the pictures on the mantel when I saw it. There was a picture of Knox around the same age and for a moment, I thought I was looking at a picture of my grandson. Shocked, I swung around to find you and found Sharon had been watching me with tears in her eyes. We both knew right then and there.”

I blow out a breath. All this time, they both knew.

“But you were so insistent on keeping it to yourself and we wanted to respect your wishes. We put our heads together a hundred times, trying to figure out how in the world it could have happened. Now it all makes sense.”

“And you don’t think less of me for behaving so foolishly?”

“Of course not! There isn’t a single person who hasn’t acted impulsively and done something regrettable. But like you’ve said many times, there is no way anyone can regret the outcome of what might have been your biggest mistake. Because look at that beautiful little boy you get to be a mama to.”

The shame over how I’ve felt about her the last few weeks washes over me. I’ve been casting stones without even knowing if the rumors are true. And she has, unbeknownst to me, known my truth for two years and hasn’t judged me for a second. She loves me unconditionally.

“Thanks, Mom. That means more than you could know.”

Despondent, she replies. “I have no business throwing stones. None of us do.”

My heart plummets as I read between the meaning of her words, but she doesn’t elaborate and because I’m not sure I have the bandwidth for more, I don’t question her.

Pulling into an open parking spot, I shift the car into park and take a peek at Sawyer in the back seat, where he happily plays with a dinosaur. “And Angus. What do you think? Is it too strange to be with the brother of the father of my child?”

“Well, nobody is going to call it typical, but you’ve been in love with that man your whole life. Who cares?”

“What about Sawyer? Is it all too confusing to grow up with that kind of controversy surrounding his existence? If the world finds out he’s Knox McKinnon’s son and his mom is in a relationship with his brother, what could that do to him? It’s like I’m knowingly setting him up for scrutiny and ridicule. Is it worth it?”

“Does Angus love Sawyer?”

“Yes.”

“Well, with your love, Angus’s love, both of your families' love, we will make sure that boy knows his worth. What I hear is you questioning whether your happiness is as important as your child’s. The answer is yes, Mia. Always put on your oxygen mask first so you can help those you love when they’re in need. In this case, I think Angus may be the oxygen in your mask.”

“I miss you so much, Mom.”

“We miss you too, sweetheart.”

“Are you and Dad okay? Are you happy there?”

“It’s a big change, but as long as we’re together, your father and I will be just fine.”

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