Page 109 of Sweeper
“Daphney had no idea what I was doing that day,” I state, by way of defending her. “She was as blindsided by all of this as you were.”
“It’s not really something anyone can be prepared for, is it?” Daphney offers me a soft smile that hits me right in the chest. I’ve only known her for two months, but it’s like she’s always been there. How is that possible?
“No, it’s not.” Vaughn laughs, scrubbing his nails over the whiskers on his chin. He turns his focus to my mother. “Jane…how could you never tell me?”
My mom’s chin wobbles, and she shrugs, looking small and sad. “You had your hands full, Vaughn. And I was leaving for America. The timing was awful.”
“I know, but…” He looks back at me again, his eyes raking over every one of my features like he’s seeing me for the first time. His voice is hoarse when he says, “You play so much like Gareth. How could I have missed it?”
His words are candid, and for some odd reason, they bring me a sense of relief. A part of me wondered if Vaughn might deny the connection out of fear of scandal. The Harris family makes headlines very easily, and if something like this gets leaked, it’s certain to cause a stir. But just because he’s here in my apartment, openly talking about this, doesn’t mean he’s ready to acknowledge it to everyone. I know from my past conversations with Booker that it took a long time for the Harris family to become what they are today. A commotion like me might rock the boat too much.
“I feel like I’ve missed so much,” Vaughn states, looking at me with red-rimmed eyes. “But it sounds like you had a great father?”
“He did,” my mom says, standing up with a fierce look in her eyes.
“I did,” I confirm, my chin rising with pride. “My dad was one of a kind.”
Vaughn nods slowly. “I’d love to hear more about him and you if you’re willing to share. I think he and your mum raised a tremendous son.”
Hearing those words on Vaughn’s lips causes my eyes to burn. It’s almost like getting my dad’s approval through Vaughn’s mouth. It’s tripping me out. Maybe this won’t be as hard as I thought it would be. Maybe this can be okay.
I shake away the emotions clogging up my mind and ask, “Can I get you a beer, Vaughn?”
He laughs and shakes his head. “I better take two.”
A couple of hours later, I’m standing at the door, hugging Vaughn Harris. It’s fucking weird. It doesn’t feel like my dad, but it doesn’t feel like a stranger either. It feels…like something new. He and my mom are leaving together. He’s offered to give her a ride to her hotel, and I have a feeling the two of them have a lot more to talk about.
“So, you’re sure it’s okay if I tell the rest of the family tomorrow then?” Vaughn asks, his eyes looking hopeful. “I know this is all happening really fast, but secrets in our family never last very long.”
I laugh and nod slowly. “Yeah, I’m good with it.”
“Good, good.” Vaughn nods thoughtfully. “And then you’ll join us for our Sunday dinner around six. I’ll be sure to tell everyone early enough to give them time to adjust to the news, but I’m sure they’re going to have questions for you.”
I inhale a cleansing breath. This is what I knew would be coming. Telling Vaughn was easy. It was the heat of the moment, and I didn’t have time to overthink my words or the setting. The rest of the family will be another experience altogether. A part of me wishes I could be there to see their reactions, so I know what Vi and the brothers really think of all this. But deep down, they deserve to have their own family moment, the same way I did with my mom.
“I’ll be there at six,” I say and note the relief in Vaughn’s face.
He turns his focus to my mom. “Jane, you would be very welcome to join us as well if you like.”
“I don’t believe Zander needs me for this.” My mom offers a polite smile to Vaughn as she reaches out to rub my arm. “Plus, I’ve got to get back to Boston for work soon. But I plan to stick around long enough to hear all about it. I’m just happy Zander knows what he wants because it’s a lot to take in.”
I nod firmly, letting her words fall over me. This is what I want. Which is another fucking weird thing. I finally know what I want. There’s no guidebook to how to deal with this, only what feels right. I’m just grateful that what feels right to Vaughn aligns with what feels right to me. I’m done with the secrets. I want to go to Sunday dinner tomorrow with the truth all out in the open. I’m ready for it.
I hug my mom goodbye and hold her tight for a moment. She’s been through a lot this week. I think if she had her way, I’d still be in the dark about all of this. She’s protective of my dad and of me. I’m sure her history with Vaughn makes it difficult for her to accept all of this easily, but it’s not up to her. She’ll come around to all of this in her own time. And the fact that she’s staying in town for a bit means she cares. And that’s worth more to me than she’ll ever know.
I close the door and press my forehead to it for a moment, feeling my body sag with relief, grateful to be done with all of that for now.
When I turn around, I find Daphney in my kitchen. She tosses a rag into the sink and offers me a soft smile that has my heart nearly bursting out of my chest.
Exhaling heavily, I move toward her to do the one thing I’ve been dying to do since the moment she stepped into my apartment with my mom. I cup her face and lean in to kiss her.
“Zander, no,” she states, pulling back and covering her lips.
“No?” My eyes search her face for answers.
She chews her lip nervously as tension grows between us. “You can’t kiss me.”
I huff out an incredulous laugh as my hands drop from her face. “Why not?”
