Page 56 of Culmination
Dad nods then clears his throat, but it’s Mom who speaks up first.
“Your father and I tried for the longest time to have children of our own, but it seemed it wasn’t in the cards for us. Medicine wasn’t as advanced back then as it is now, and we couldn’t afford the expensive fertility treatments.”
My eyebrows knit together and I interrupt her. “What about Michael?” I ask. “Is he adopted, too?”
Mom’s eyes soften. “No, dear. He isn’t. You see, only a few months after you came along, I found out I was pregnant.” She lets out a small laugh. “Life’s funny that way, I suppose. Your brother…” She pauses for a brief moment and then offers a soft smile. “Michael was an accidental surprise. A pleasant blessing. But, Rafe, you must know, we never loved you any less because you didn’t come from our blood. That didn’t matter to us. You were ours, no matter what.”
Before I can respond, Dad clears his throat and then chimes in.
“It’s true, son. For the first year or so, we were terrified your father could show up at any time, any day, and demand you back. Your birth mother wasn’t entirely clear on why she needed to keep your birth a secret, but she did tell us that your fa—the man with whom she conceived—would do you both harm if he ever found out about you.”
Mom takes over for him. “But as time passed, it became clear that no one was coming for you. Like I said, you were ours. That’s all that mattered to us. That’s all anyone ever had to know.”
Brie and I share a look, both of us knowing we have so much to fill them in on. Yet I still have so many questions.
“Wait. Let’s back up a second. You didn’t do fertility treatments, so what was next? You went to an adoption agency?”
My parents exchange a glance and I don’t miss the way my mom toys with the hem of her sweater.
“It was a closed, private adoption,” she says. “You see, we were about to start looking into adoption agencies when I received a call from an old friend of mine, Helene. She was an exchange student here at my high school and we’d hit it off. Unfortunately, those were before the days of the internet, and long-distance calls cost more money than my parents were willing to spend. Helene and I spent a few years exchanging letters, but as time passed, they were fewer and farther between until one day I realized our communication had dropped off completely. Imagine my surprise when she showed up on my doorstep with a small bundle. You.”
The agent in me takes over. “Weren’t you worried I was kidnapped? You just accepted a baby from someone without question?”
“No, Rafe, of course not. I knew you were hers the moment she handed you over to me. The anguish was etched so severely on her face that there was no question she was giving up her own child. For a split second, I was afraid she was going to change her mind. It was such a conflicting day for me. For all of us. I can’t describe the happiness I felt to have a baby to love, to raise. Yet, I couldn’t stop thinking of the sorrow in Helene’s eyes.” Her glistening eyes meet mine, and for the first time, I want to thank Helene for choosing this woman to be my mother.
If she had to give me up, she couldn’t have chosen better parents for me.
“I love you, Rafe. I always have and I always will, just as if I’d given birth to you. And Helene? She loved you, too. Enough to give you up for your safety when it was obviously the last thing she wanted to do.”
My father decides to chime in. “Helene wasn’t exactly forthcoming. She said the less we knew, the better. Just that she was in danger, and we had to keep your adoption a secret.”
“Even from me?” I ask, though the answer is obvious.
“Yes, son, even from you. No one could know you were adopted. If they thought you were truly ours—which you were—no one would have any questions.”
Brie nods beside me. “That makes sense, Mr. Matthews.”
Dad smiles warmly. “I told you, Brie. Call me Cameron.”
She beams. “Of course. I have to ask. Did you know about Helene’s parentage?”
Mom appears confused as she exchanges a look with my dad. “All I knew was that she had a single mother who was a dressmaker back in her home country. She never knew her father.”
Brie offers me an expression that says,Do you want to tell them or should I?
Spending time with Rafe’s family has been fantastic, but when his mother asks us to stick around for coffee and dessert, I yawn. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Matthews. I’m afraid I’m worn out. Can we take a rain check?”
Relief crosses Rafe’s features. Even after everything we’ve been through and us trying to find so some sort of normalcy, this day has been overwhelming for him. In the span on a few months, his life changed entirely. I like to think the changes with me are welcome, but I have a feeling he needs to decompress after everything he learned today.
We exchange promises of getting together soon, and Rafe’s mom insists on helping me find a doctor in the area—if we choose to stay around here, of course. We haven’t discussed what we’re going to do, where we’re going to settle, and I don’t care because as long as I’m with him, I’ll be happy anywhere.
Less than an hour later, we’re lounging on the swing on the back deck of our rental home. Rafe’s arm lays loosely around my shoulders, and I lean my head against his chest, enjoying the unusually warm evening. The sounds of nature fill the air around us, and for the first time in so long, I’m at peace.
“Where do we go from here?” I ask, gazing up at him.
Rafe’s piercing, blue eyes stare back into mine, nearly causing me to melt at the love I see reflecting in them. He leans in close, stopping just before his lips touch mine. “We’re free, baby. We can go anywhere we want.”
WARM HANDS WRAP AROUNDmy waist as I gaze down into the tiny bassinet by our bedside. Our son, Elijah Andrew Matthews, sleeps soundly for what feels like the first time in weeks. His birth, unlike my pregnancy, was smooth and uncomplicated, and it lasted just under four hours. Apparently, our little guy was as anxious to meet us as we were to meet him.
