75)

The two girls hit their mom so hard she nearly got pushed back into the car, as her husband came around from the driver’s side.

We stared at each other, neither one of us knowing what our next move should be.

Then Aran walked into the side of his legs and started pulling at his shirt. “Dad? Dad? Dad?”

My son turned from me to smile at his son as he bent over to pick him up, telling him how glad he was to see him.

He glanced up at me again and I just waved him over to his daughters as I took a seat and prepared my dad joke. They looked like they might need a moment.

My brother’s voice whispered out from the still open patio door. “John, take some pictures. We don’t have any women here to do it for us.”

Yeah, that had always been our mom or sister’s self apointed job. Even though both of them hated getting their own pictures taken. That might be why they always grabbed the camera first.

I looked back over to see my son looking back and giving me a nod. He even held his two eldest ones up close long enough for me to get my phone out and figure out again how to take a picture with it.

My daughter in law had Aran in her arms as the two girls dragged her into the house, she only got a single moment to get a look at me as I waved at her in passing.

As my son started up the two steps to the patio, he heard his wife’s abrupt laughter coming from inside. He gave me an inquiring look. “Any chance you’re willing to tell me what that's all about?”

I stood up and pocketed my phone. “Nope. You’ll get to see it in a moment. I hope I’m not expected to pick you up like you did your son?”

He grinned a little, then stepped over to close the door before turning to face me as he braced himself like he was getting ready to hear some bad news. “I...I’m glad to meet you.” Then he took a deep breath. “If you ever felt bad for even a moment, about not somehow knowing about me when everyone that could have told you didn’t. Then I need you to know I never, even for a moment, ever blamed you for any of this.”

He paused for a moment as I realized I was just staring at him blankly, so I nodded, unsure how else to respond.

Looking down he waved his hand around in front of him. “As for any dept, you might possibly feel you might owe me for being my father. What you’ve done for my children, and what you are doing now. It’s paid. I just hope that one day I can feel like I’ve made things even between us for walking away from you instead of being the one to figure out how to safely tell you what had happened to your life, and that I existed.”

Wow. I took a little breath of my own since I didn’t want to leave him just standing there. “Well, to start with, since I’m a little curious. Just how long have you been practicing that.”

His head jerked up as he stared at me gap jawed, then he smiled and started to laugh.

Good, the kid had inherited my mom's rotten sense of humor. I laughed as well as Sara yelled out of the kitchen. “Stop bullying my dad grandpa!”

I could see him adding a few things up. “Ever since I decided to go looking for you, and then finishing up in my head on the drive over here.”

Stepping over to him, I extended my hand to meet his. “John Lathe, I used to date your mother.” He rolled his eyes a bit as we shook. “John Caine, I think you know my kids.”

His wife yelled from inside. “John get in here before Ami spoils it.”

We both turned at the name, exchanged a glance, and headed into the kitchen.

Charles had picked up the blue and white streamers and balloons that we had hung up all around the kitchen, as well as the glittery “It’s a boy” banner, the stork decals holding a blue sack with a baby in it, and the blue bubblegum cigars which Drew had passed around.

My daughter in law had the same almost feral look of glee on her face as her daughter Ami, who began asking her father, if he got it, and isn’t it funny. Sara was grinning at the joke while her brother was in near danger of choking on the entire bubblegum cigar he had forced into his mouth and was struggling to chew.

My brother got a picture of the horrified and confused look on my kid’s face. One that was hopefully suitable for framing.

I patted my son on the shoulder. “Well, now you can feel at like we evened things up at least a little bit now. And welcome to the family, you’ll get used to it.”

He slowly turned and gave me a look. “I think that to really make us both feel better. I will have to get you back for this.”

Slowly he shook his head. “Not soon, not when you expect it. But one day I will be avenged.”

I smirked. “It’s because I didn’t get a cake, isn’t it? I just thought the kids would want some if I got one, and they wouldn’t be able to get any sleep if they have sugar this late.”

He started to work his jaw as he prepared a response, but Sara gave him an out as she barked out a sarcastic. “Ha!” and began to wave a finger at me. “As if you would pass up an excuse to buy a cake you could finish off all on your own after everyone else went to bed. Don’t let him fool you dad, he only just now even thought of a cake.”

I started to protest my innocence, but junior just grinned and gave his daughter another hug, before turning to the door. “We’ll finish this conversation later, Dad. I’m going to get our luggage.”

Sara turned and gave her surprised mother another quick hug before turning to chase after her father “I’ll help.”

I could hear my son asking just how Sara had been able to hear our conversation through a closed door well enough to yell at me about being a bully when I felt someone step up behind me.

Turning around, I found myself face to face with my nervous looking daughter in law. Who looked like she had something to say.