Chapter 34

JAMES

I felt a surge of pride for Anna. She had done this for closure. She needed to put her past to rest, especially if she was going to be visiting this town every fortnight.

Anna was in the room, cradling Olivia, while her dad held her. I took one last look at my perfect little family and felt a sense of fulfillment. This was what life was all about.

Not the dream job, but the dream life. A life filled with happiness—that was my dream.

But I knew the Johnsons. They wouldn’t let Anna be. They believed they had some sort of claim over her. I knew I’d have to step in.

So, I shut the door and turned to face the Johnsons. “If you try to come in again, or approach my daughter's room, or even Anna, I’ll take legal action,” I warned them.

Alicia, who was still standing there, gasped.

“Peter, Ruth. Anna doesn’t want you here. If you had shown her some kindness, she might have...she might have tried to forgive you.

“But you,” I said, shaking my head, “you always talk about God and forgiveness. You preach about second chances.

“You’re there for everyone else, but you’ve let her down more times than I can count.”

Ruth sighed and Peter struggled not to roll his eyes.

“I think it’s time you took a hard look at yourselves and what you did to your own family.

“When you’re ready to apologize and be there for this family the way you should be, I’ll try to convince Anna to give you a second chance,” I told them honestly.

“How did we let her down? We did our best to raise her, James. We did what we could,” Ruby defended.

“Did you? Did you really?” I challenged her. “Because I think you don’t know her at all. The times she came to my house crying because of you.

“The times she felt left out in class because she was kept in the dark. I was the one who comforted her when she cried for hours on end, not you.

“Anna missed out on having a mother and father figure in her life,” I told them honestly.

“How can that be? I was there. We both were,” Peter argued.

“But were you? What did you do when Anna fell down the stairs and broke her arm?”

Peter’s mouth fell open.

“You told her not to be a baby and to go to school. I’m the one who drove her to the hospital to get it set. Then she got home with a cast and the first thing you said was—”

“‘How dare you skip class, you stupid, ungrateful girl,’” Ruby finished for me in a quiet voice. “God, I was so mad at you for that,” she continued. “He’s right, you know. You were never a real dad to her.

“You never comforted her when she cried, you never kissed her boo-boos or held her when her heart got broken. God knows how much she hurt when James left town,” she said.

“I did try,” Peter defended himself, but I shook my head.

“If you had tried, you would’ve listened to her. Listened to every detail of her day to find out where it went wrong and why she was crying,” I corrected him.

“Olivia only goes to daycare and I still comfort her when she comes home crying because of that little jerk ‘Jonathan,’ who pushes her off the couch and says she can’t play with the others because she’s stupid.

“I’ve never told her to stop crying or to pull herself together. I never even told Anna to do that. Because my girls. Those two are the strongest people I know. Anna gave up Stanford—for me,” I told them.

I knew this must be hard for them to hear, but I guess I needed some closure too. If I ever let these people back into our lives, I wanted a clean slate.

“She did that so she could raise our daughter the best she could while I lived my dream. She worked her ass off to be where she is now.

“But she did it alone. That’s how she has felt all her life—alone. And that’s on you.”

“Now Anna has a father and a mother who love her so much. Becca calls her at least once every week just to scold her for not eating or working too hard and then to say goodnight to Olivia.

“And Jack. God, he’d hop on the first plane he could just to be there for her. God knows what he’d do to me if I ever messed up.

“You can see it in the smile he has when he sees Anna walk into the room.

“It was in the pride in his eyes when she told him she had gotten a full scholarship for Stanford but had to give it up so she could provide for her daughter.

“And it’s obvious when he notices the little things in her that remind him of himself. He loves her. He loved her the moment he heard the words ‘I am your daughter, but I know you don’t know.’”

“The overwhelming feeling of love for her was there in that instant,” I told them.

“How’d you know that?” he asked.

I sighed. “Because I was him a couple of weeks ago. But with me, I didn’t need words. I knew it the moment I saw Liv’s eyes looking back at me. God, I knew even sooner, but in that moment I knew for sure.

“The first thing I felt was love and the second was sadness and worry. Worry because I was driving my own child to the hospital.”

“You didn’t know?” Alicia asked, I shook my head.

“No, Anna explained everything a couple of weeks back. But look at us now. We live in our little home in Seattle where we raise our daughter.

“I have my company, and Anna works in the bakery she’s planning on taking over after she graduates. She does it all. If anyone ever wrote Anna’s life story down, it would be a hit.

“They should make a movie about her. She’s Superwoman in disguise.”

Peter looks at me, a smile playing on his lips. “You’re really in love with her, aren’t you?”

“Absolutely. From the moment I first saw her. I get it, her pregnancy was a shock, but it’s no excuse for what you did.

“You made her life so much harder than it needed to be. And she couldn’t even be with Becca because Becca was terrified of what you two would do if you found out,” I say, my voice steady.

Ruby lets out a sigh.

“I’d take a long, hard look at what you want in life if I were you. That little church group of yours isn’t forever. When you’re sick and need someone to care for you, they might not be there.

“At the end of the day, family is what counts. Family is who you can always rely on, and you’ve messed that up,” I tell them, not mincing my words.

“You’ve lost Rebecca, you’ve lost Anna, and your parents are gone.

“If you don’t want to be alone for the rest of your lives, you might want to reconsider what you want and how you plan to get it.”

Peter swallows hard. “What do you mean, we’ve lost them?”

“I’ve told you. Anna tried to move Liv’s treatment to Seattle. She did that to avoid bumping into you two.

“You lost Rebecca the day Anna turned five and Rebecca tried to persuade you to buy Anna the Barbie doll she wanted—and you brought out the contract.

“After that, she only came around to keep up appearances, even though it was tearing her apart. The moment Anna says the word, they’ll be gone,” I warn them.

It’s the harsh truth, they messed up.

“So that’s it? We won’t have anyone left?” Ruby asks, her voice filled with disbelief.

I shake my head. “When you’re ready to change and accept this family as it is, you might be able to earn back their trust. But not with games and lies, with honesty.

“Anna values honesty and open communication. She’ll listen if you show her you’re willing to change,” I explain.

“But you just said they’re leaving—moving Olivia’s treatment,” she counters.

“We’re not. Dr. Jasmine is the best, and she’s the one who discovered Olivia’s cancer. She’ll be treated here.”

Peter looks taken aback. “What about your lives?”

“Our lives?” I laugh, throwing my head back.

“You think our lives matter without that little girl?” I ask him, pointing towards the room behind me.

Alicia lets out a sigh. “Of course not. So what now?”

“Now? Now it’s their move. If they want any part of my family, they’ll have to change.

“If I don’t see any change and they keep trying to interfere or intentionally hurt them, I’ll sue them for all they’re worth and make sure they end up in jail for abandonment.”