Page 55 of Our Unexpected Beginning
“I thought we could do a little secret shopping.”
Graham noticed Wes’ unease. He was shuffling work orders on his desk without any organization or order.They ended up in the same spot he started in until he got frustrated and shoved them in the drawer.
“Okay dude. Spill.”
“I’m asking Melody to marry me.”
“Well fuck man, that sounds amazing.”
“I don’t know why I’m nervous.”
“Because you’re telling her you’re all in.” Graham waved his hand and pointed at Wes. “When did you know you loved her?”
“She was dancing in the kitchen with my daughter wearing a unicorn onesie and dancing to Frozen. The way she laughs, it’s like electricity.”
“That I get. I crave her company more than my solitude. She’s home for me. I didn’t plan it, it wasn’t expected.”
“Oh yeah?” Wes smirked, stealing a glance at the photo of Melody on his desk.
“Yeah. She’s the most amazing and special person I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting. I feel lucky if she’ll let me love her. To watch Julia bend and break her body for me, forourbaby. Her body is beautiful. She glows from the inside out. I-fuck man. I don’t see my life without her.”
Wes crossed his arms and grinned at Graham. “Well we could make it a secret shopping trip for two.”
Graham thought for a moment and shook his head. They weren’t there–yet. However, he knew that when the time was right, it would be with hisgrandparents ring.
“When we moved here, we had nothing. My mother hid the silverware—back then, it was silver—in her dress lining when they came to this country. My parents had a wedding band made from one of the pieces. It connected them to their past. We had nothing; together, we had everything.”
Everything was the goal.
“Long-distance pregnancy is a hurdle enough. I don’t need to spook her away too much too fast.”
Speaking of runners.
Graham knew with things changing in their expanding little family, with a new beginning came the truth. “Hey, um since it’s just us.”
“Oh no.”
“What, I haven’t said anything.”
“Well if it was good news your demeanor would be different.”
“It’s about Kat.”
Wes’ face twisted into a grimace. “What ’bout her?”
Did he have the balls to tell him the truth? To tell him the secret Graham’s kept for the past four-plus years…
“Spill it.”
“When Kat left…” he let out a swoosh of air. “At first I called two, three times a day. I never got an answer. A few months went by and I started sending her photos in hopes…” Graham let out a defeated sigh. “She’s my sister.” That defense sounded hollow to his own ears. It was ingrained in his DNA never to leave her stranded, even after her desertion.
Wes stood up and walked to the fridge, acquiring and bringing back two drinks. “What happened?”
“I should have told you. She’s my niece but she’syourdaughter. I’m sorry man.“ Graham swallowed thickly, wondering if the older man would send him home with a black eye and one less limb. Or worse, never allowing him near Sarah again.
It wasn’t a punishment that he was undeserving.
“For months I never got so much as a ‘read’ to know she was alive. It wasn’t until Sarah’s second birthday. She was into bumble bees,” he chuckled nervously, scrubbing the back of his neck. “Everything yellow wasbumble.”
