Page 70 of Really Truly Yours
I find Gray’s chocolate eyes on me in camaraderie, like I’m his wingman or something.
I’m no one to anyone, ever, except maybe Donny.
I drag out a smile I hope he interprets as encouragement. Now that I’ve met her, I can see starting with Avery makes sense.
“I’ve got some news.” His finger slides, absently, inside the band of his watch. “It’s about Tripp’s biological father.”
Her intake of breath is audible as her fingers fly to her mouth. “Oh, Gray.”
“I know, right? Donny has told me some things, and…”
Her hand, the one with its in-my-wildest-dreams wedding set moves to her throat. “Just say it. It’s bad, isn’t it?”
His head bobs. “Honestly, it could be a lot worse, considering some of what we know about our mother, but…”
She grabs his hand. “Spit it out, Gray.”
“Right. Well, it turns out…brace yourself…it turns out that Donny is actually Tripp’s biological father too.”
Avery’s eyes get enormous. “No.”
“Yep. That’s what he says.”
“But how…you believe him?”
Gray nods. “I do. I don’t have a DNA test or anything, but once he said it, well, it’s pretty obvious. They’re built the same. They have the same eyes. Donny’s got a whole story, and it works. It makes total sense.”
She rests into the chair, her hand returning to the baby in her stomach. “Wow. Just, wow.” She smiles a smile that gradually fills her eyes. “You and Tripp are full brothers. That’s so awesome, Gray.”
He nods. “Absolutely. In one way, it doesn’t matter at all, and in another…it means everything.”
Avery works her way to standing and hugs her brother-in-law, squeezing tight. It’s sweet yet puts me in my place. I’m a facilitator who brought a family together, but personally not a part of any of it.
He pats her back as they separate. “So, the question is, do I tell Tripp?”
“Of course you do, Gray! He has to know.”
“But now? Avery, this is going to mess him up, and with the baby coming soon…”
She cradles both arms at her stomach. “I hear you. It’s either perfect timing or the worst timing ever. I’m telling you, though, he needs to know. It’s time he puts this issue to rest once and for all. He says he doesn’t care, but not knowing…it haunts him, and he imagines all kinds of awful scenarios. And, to be frank, I don’t want this issue hanging over his parenting for the next twenty years.”
Gaze drifted, Gray strokes his chin. “Okay. I’ll do it. I’ve got stuff happening today. Let me think how best to go about this.”
“And pray.”
“And pray.”
Avery squeezes his arm laid on the table. “I’ll be on my knees, too, trust me.”
Prayer to address problems? Not drugs or booze or fists? How novel.
And these two have only known each other a year? They seem close. My own set of blood-related people don’t resemble this family at all. Grammy was different, of course. And Sam.
But then there’s the rest of the bunch.
Gray squint-smiles at me. “You ready to go, Sydnee? You look like you could use some sleep.”
Thanks? Just what a girl wants to hear when she’s been dragged to meet new people, people who are so far out of her…