“But later, he had choices of his own, and he still stayed away.”
“Did Mom want him to stay?”
“She wanted him to choose you for himself.”
“Did he?”
I forced myself not to soften the truth.
“Not when he should have.”
Lucas stared at the photo.
“Do you hate him?”
“I did before I knew who he was.”
“And now?”
“I understand him better.”
I paused.
“That isn’t the same thing as forgiving him.”
Lucas nodded.
“Do I have to meet him?”
“No.”
“But can I?”
Every frightened part of me wanted to say not yet.
For ten years, Lucas and I had been enough.
What if letting this man into our lives changed everything?
Then I remembered Teagan’s words.
You never asked why I was scared.
I wasn’t going to make Lucas pay for my fear.
“Yes,” I said.
Their first meeting took place at a public baseball field.
Lucas chose it.
His father was already there.
In his hand was the same worn leather glove from the photograph.
Lucas stopped when he saw it.
“That’s the glove.”
His father looked down.
“Yeah.”
“You kept it all this time?”
“I kept more things than I had a right to.”
Lucas stepped closer.
“I’m Lucas.”
Then he pointed toward the field.
“Are you any good?”
His father gave a nervous smile.
“Not really.”
“You owned a glove.”
“Having a glove and being good are two completely different things.”
Lucas smiled.
They started throwing the ball.
At first, it was awkward.
One throw went too high.
Lucas missed it.
“Sorry,” his father said. “That one was my fault.”
“I should’ve caught it.”
“No. I threw it badly.”
I stood several yards away.
After a while, Lucas asked him something I couldn’t hear.
His father crouched beside him.
My body automatically moved one step forward.
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