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“Do I look okay?” Roberd asks, trying to press imaginary wrinkles out of his shirt. It isn’t just any day that you find out your parents are still alive, that you have two sisters and all are on the same planet.
“You look fine. If you primp anymore that shirt will have a worry hole in it.” Fynn says, shoving Roberd with his shoulder. “Just walk in and talk to him. Promise he won’t bite.”
“But-”
“Roberd, you’re getting something none of us will ever get. Just go.” I look at him until he turns away nodding.
“You’re right. What I look like isn’t important.” He takes a deep breath letting it out slowly. “Are you guys coming in with me?”
Jax looks hopefully and starts to speak, but I cut him off. “We will follow you in a few minutes. Don’t you think the first time you speak to your father should be without an audience?”
“Maybe we can avoid the awkward man tears?” Fynn suggests.
“Wouldn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable or anything,” Roberd teases, and then steps across the street, getting the last word in.
“You know you could give him a break,” I look at Fynn. “He has to be scared shitless.” I know I would be if I got to see my parents again, or my younger brother. Of course, I might punch my father if I ever were to meet him again.
“Yeah, but then he would be more nervous. Now he just wants to prove to me he isn’t a sissy.” Fynn turns, smiling with all his teeth showing.
“Whatever that is on your face, stop! It would scare small children into nightmares.” I bite my cheek to keep from smiling.
“Can we go in now?” Jax asks, switching his weight from foot to foot like a small child that needs the bathroom.
I look down at the communicator. It’s been almost five minutes. “I guess.” Following the other three guys, I dread seeing the happy reunion. I have questioned so many things in my past, wanted to ask so many questions, but I have no way to ask. I don’t even know what happened to my family.
“Sorry, gentleman. We’re closing early.” An older man says, his appearance answers the question of how Roberd will look in thirty years. His face has a few more lines on it, his hair is more gray than black, but there is no denying who he is. His arm is around Roberd, tears filling his eyes.
“Pater, these are my family. I wouldn’t have made it this long without them.”
“Come, come! Introductions can wait until later. We must take you to you mater.” His smile is infectious, though it is tearing small holes in the armor I have had for years.
“We don’t want to intrude, sir,” I start to say. But he waves my words away.
“Not an intrusion. You are family. Mater will want to meet and thank the men who helped our Robbie!”
Fynn and Tobis snicker at the nickname. I have to say that I can’t imagine the tough, angry Roberd as a Robbie.
“Let me lock up for you then, so we can go.” Tobis turns around and shuts the door, locking it and flipping the sign to closed.
“How is Mater? I wasn’t given any information after Dolores sold me. I assumed the worst after I couldn’t find anything about you.” Roberd says quietly, though I can hear the hurt in his voice.
“Let’s talk and walk,” he says, pulling a cane out and leading us to the back of the shop. “One day we were well off, the next day you were gone to Zoni only knew were. We were thrown out of our house with only what we could carry. Your mother in her wisdom had been keeping valuables in a coded purse, several in fact. She insisted that that was all she would bring. I thought she was crazy.” He laughs at the memory. “She ran up the stairs and came down with fourteen purses strapped to her body. She could barely walk between the bulk and weight. But her head was held high and she didn’t say a word to the enforcers.”
“What did you do after that?” Jax asks, eyes wide. I want to shush him, but also want to know the answer.
“Lena didn’t bat one eye. You would think she had a plan all along. She led me straight to a boarding house where she paid for a room for the night. The next morning, we were on a ship headed here.” He was quiet for a minute, “Now Robbie, I don’t want you thinking she didn’t look for you. She did for a month straight. But no one knew where you were, and each person hired came back saying you were dead.”
Roberd puts his hand on his father’s arm, “Pater, there is no way you could have known. Dolores is good at what she does, only having you see what she wants.”
“That is true. Now here we are.” He had stopped walking at a red door. The house looked like any others on the street, small and slightly rundown. But the flowers out front told a story of hope.
“Mater! I’m home with guests,” he called as he opened the door.
An older woman turned from the kitchen area, her mouth opening in shock before she dropped the spoon and ran yelling, “Robbie, Robbie, my baby!”
It brought tears to my eyes. Would my mother respond the same way if she saw me?