Page 20 of Finally Found You

“Do you want wine?” he asks, pulling out a bottle from the small fridge next to the dishwasher. “I have a sauvignon blanc that’ll go great with your pasta.”

“Sure,” I answer, wanting to ask for the cabernet I saw earlier. If Kenzy agrees to stay, I might be tasting all his wines. Instead, I should start searching for a job and leave them to bond?

Can I even do it when my future is up in the air? I like to plan and know what to expect and… I look up at Kenzy, who’s coming back from washing her hands. In that instant, I’m reminded her needs are more important than mine. Her mother abandoned her and her father… well, maybe if he had known, he would’ve taken her away from us.

Nonna did her best for us, but being raised by a grandparent is a whole different ball game. I remember watching my friends, their families far from perfect, yet their childhoods seemed more normal. Spending weekends having brunch with my grandmother’s friends and listening to their gossip wasn’t as fun as going to the park or playing with the neighbors.

Determined to give Kenzy a more typical upbringing, I made sure she had fewer bingo Saturdays with Nonna and more playdates with children her own age.

Now, faced with the possibility of leaving her with Lysander, I can’t ignore the unsettling feeling of uncertainty. He’s definitely wealthier than me—a fact that’s hard to ignore.

Kenzy doesn’t really need me with her. I could go back to Colorado, sell Nonna’s house, and set up a college fund for Kenzy with the proceeds.

But first, I need to know if Lysander is truly capable of being the father Kenzy deserves. With that thought in mind, I finish plating the pasta and salad while Lysander sets the table, complete with wineglasses for us and a can of soda for Kenzy.

Once we’re seated, Lysander speaks up, his voice cautious yet sincere. “Kenzy, I have an offer for you. I would like to get to know you better and try to build a father-daughter relationship. It’d be wonderful if you and Camilla could stay for a couple of weeks.”

I steal a glance at Kenzy, searching for any hint of her feelings on the matter.

She turns to me, her eyes brimming with a mix of hope and uncertainty. “Cam?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

I strive to sound reassuring, injecting warmth into my voice that I struggle to feel. “It’s up to you, Kenz. I’ll do whatever is best for you. This could be a good opportunity to get to know him. I’m sure JJ’s parents will lend me enough money to get an Airbnb so I can stick around.” I try to sound nonchalant, as if it’s a done deal. Deep down, I’m uncertain if I could muster the courage to ask them for another favor in the next million years.

“You’ll leave me with him?” she asks, her voice wavering with a hint of disbelief.

Lysander steps in, his tone gentle and accommodating. “Well, I was thinking you two could stay upstairs in the penthouse. I don’t have an extra room in this apartment, but you’ll be close enough to share meals and spend as much time together as possible.”

I shake my head, anxiety lacing my words. “I can’t afford to rent a penthouse. I’m currently between jobs.”

He nods, his expression sympathetic. “I heard.”

I scoff and glare at Kenzy, my annoyance bubbling over. “Of course you did.”

Lysander clears his throat, trying to defuse the tension. “This building belongs to Aslan,” he explains. “He’ll be more than happy to let you use the penthouse. It’s been empty since Heath moved to France.”

“Who is Heath?” Kenzy asks curiously.

Lysander stands and walks toward the table filled with family pictures. He grabs three of the frames and sets them down between Kenz and me.

He points at the first frame. “You already met Fern. She’s holding one of her twins, Alyth, and next to her is Elliot, her husband, with their son, Elijah. Then you have Aslan, who is married to the gorgeous woman next to him, Keaton. Gatsby is our other triplet. He’s holding Soleil, his daughter. The pregnant woman next to him is his wife, Maia. The young woman who looks a lot like you is Cordelia. We call her Cory. And you already met Huxley.”

Lysander then switches to the second frame. It’s a portrait of a family of three with two dogs. “This is my brother Caspian, his wife, Rys, and their beautiful daughter, Eris. The big mutt is Ralph, and the little princess puppy is Mia.”

He reveals the last frame, beaming with pride. “Last but not least is my brother Heathcliff. We call him the doc. This is his girlfriend, Atzi, and their triplets, Ryker, Hasen, and Itzel.”

I can’t help but notice that Lysander isn’t in any of these pictures, though I do recall seeing him on several of the ones on the table.

“Do you have a family?” Kenzy asks, her grip on her fork tightening.

Lysander’s eyes soften, and he gazes at her with sincerity. “This is my family, and now it’s yours, too.”

Kenzy’s nostrils flare, frustration simmering beneath the surface. She’s a good kid, but sometimes she has trouble expressing herself. If I hadn’t been gone for the past four years, maybe she wouldn’t be having so many issues with communication. Then again, it could be grief making her less patient.

“I think what she wants to know is if you have a wife and children,” I clarify, trying to voice her unspoken question.

“No, I don’t,” Lysander answers, his voice carrying a hint of vulnerability. “My father died when I was twenty, and my mother got sick. Aslan, Gatsby, and I became the guardians of our younger siblings.”

That part piques my interest, and I want to know more, but I wait for Kenzy to digest the information.

---