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“Yes, I mean it,” he says with conviction, his eyes bright as they bore into mine. “You’re the light in my life, Anya. I’d be lost without you, and I’m not just saying this to impress you. It’s how I truly feel.”
He goes silent again, and I just wait until he’s ready, holding his hand with one of my own.
“Alessa is not mine,” he finally says.
My mouth falls open before I can stop myself. “What do you mean she’s not yours? Did you adopt her?”
“Yes. No. Kind of.” He lets out a breath. “She…Her mother cheated on me and got pregnant by the other guy. When he wouldn’t take responsibility, she lied and said that the baby was mine. I had my doubts, but I wasn’t really sure about it until I did a DNA test after Alessa was born. Her mom got mad, dropped her off at my doorstep, and never came back.”
“And you decided to raise her?”
He nods. “I adored that little girl the second she was born. She may not be mine biologically, but I loved her too much to give her away. So yes, I decided to raise her. I can’t possibly do this without my parents’ help. When I'm not on deployment, my priority is coming home to spend time with Alessa. She's a fantastic listener and genuinely interested in what I do as a Navy SEAL. She understands the demands of my job and does her best to be supportive. She's an amazing kid.”
“I see," I reply, trying to conceal the confusion lurking in my eyes. This was definitely a bombshell to drop all of a sudden. “And how does this change things?”
Brandon takes a deep breath, as if preparing to dive into uncharted waters. “Well, it means that legally, she's not my biological daughter. But to me, she is just as much my daughter as Kira is. I love her just the same, maybe even more because of the circumstances. I didn't want to keep this a secret from you, Anya, because I value honesty, and I want you to be a part of our family's journey.”
I can't help but feel a wave of sympathy for him; the weight of this secret must have been unbearable. And seeing how much of a good dad he is, it must’ve broken him to find out his daughter is not biologically his.
“Do you think it would be wise to tell Alessa about her mother, and that you are not her biological father?” I ask, trying to navigate the delicate balance between respecting Brandon's desire for honesty and considering how this revelation might impact Alessa when she finds out.
Brandon hesitates for a moment before answering. “I think it's something we should consider discussing with her as she gets older. We can't keep everything from her forever. But for now, I don't want to burden her with something that won't make a difference in our relationship or how she perceives herself or us.”
We. He’s referring to me and him. He’s not excluding me from his future plans. And he’s such a considerate dad. Honestly, I don’t think I could’ve done any better for Kira and myself.
I nod in agreement. The subject is too complex to be discussed hastily, and Alessa is still a child. “We can revisit this topic when she is a bit older and more equipped to handle such information.”
“That is exactly what I think.” Brandon says, visibly relieved that we're on the same page. "I don't want to rob her of her self-esteem. She deserves to grow up knowing she's loved and accepted, regardless of her biological connection to the rest of the family.”
“Great. We’ll have the discussion with her when she is older.” If things don’t go awry between us. If we can actually have a happy life together. I hope we do.
“You have to promise me one thing, Anya,” he says softly.
I roll my lips between my teeth and breathe in anxiously. “What?”
“I don’t want Alessa to ever feel like an outsider. I don’t want you to treat her differently because of what I’ve just told you.”
A smile touches my lips. I lift one hand to my chest. “I promise to treat Alessa the same way I treat Kira. And trust me, her biological relationship with you doesn’t bother me at all. I’m not that old-fashioned.”
He finally smiles. “We can work with that I guess.”
“Perfect!” I lift my coffee, bringing it to my lips and inhaling the addictive aroma. “What time are you going to see Nathan?”
“After breakfast. My mom will drop Alessa off by the afternoon if that is okay.”
“It’s totally fine. I want the girls to bond all they can. Kira is lucky to have a big sister.” I sigh. “I always hated being an only child, you know. Gigi is the only reason it wasn’t so boring growing up.”
“You’ve seen Spencer. Growing up with a crazy dude like him was hell, but it was fun too.” His shoulders sag, as if there’s something weighing him down. “I’ll have to talk to him when I’m back too.”
“Good luck with that.” I mean it. I want nothing but a happy family. And even though Spencer is a dick, Brandon loves him, and I want nothing less than for Brandon to be happy.
CHAPTER 20
Brandon
I’m standing in front of the rehabilitation center where Nathan is, and I’m tensed up. My muscles are rigid, and my heart is throbbing hard against my ribcage. I fear it might explode if Nathan decided to shout at me the moment he sees me.
I heard from a friend that he is doing a lot better now. He can’t walk without assistance just yet, but he’s not fully dependent on his wheelchair anymore.
