Page 125 of Forsaken Oath

55

BEAU

The familiar creakof the porch step beneath my boots feels like stepping into the past. My parents’ house always smells the same—vanilla and something faintly earthy from Ma’s garden, like memories clinging to the walls. It’s grounding, in a way I didn’t know I needed.

I rap twice on the door before letting myself in. “Dad?” I call out, my voice carrying through the house.

“In the living room,” he answers, the sound muffled but clear.

I follow the noise of the TV and find him leaning over a puzzle on the coffee table. His hair’s more gray than blond now, but he’s still got the same steady presence that’s been an anchor my entire life.

“Hey, son.” He looks up with a smile, setting his coffee mug down. “Didn’t know you were stopping by.” He throws his arm around my shoulders and pulls me into a hug.

I pat his back and pull back. “Needed some advice, I guess.”

“Ah,” he says, his smile turning thoughtful. “Have a seat, son. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

We settle onto the well-worn leather couch, the cushions soft and familiar beneath me. Sunlight streams through the large bay window, casting a warm glow over the room. Family photos line the mantle above the fireplace, snapshots of our lives frozen in time.

Dad leans back, one arm draped over the back of the couch as he turns to face me fully. His blue eyes, so much like my own, are filled with a quiet wisdom that comes from a lifetime of love and loss, joy and pain.

“So, what’s going on, Beau?” he asks.

I lean forward, bracing my elbows on my knees and clasping my hands together. The words feel heavy on my tongue, weighed down by the reality of the situation.

“It’s about Eloise,” I start, my voice rougher than I intended. “She tried to end things.”

“Tried?” Dad asks, a knowing glint in his eye.

I rake a hand through my hair, exhaling slowly. “Yeah. I told her I didn’t accept it, so.”

Dad chuckles. “That’s not usually how that works, son.”

I drum my fingers on my thigh, nerves sparking underneath my skin. “For other women? Sure. But not for us. Not for Eloise. We’re end game, Dad.”

His brows lift along with the corner of his mouth. “Alright, then. What happened?”

I drag my hand across my jaw. “She thinks she’s doing me some kind of favor by breaking it off. Like I can’t handle her baggage or something.”

“Ah,” Dad hums. “Your mom used to do that to me all the time too.”

My attention snaps to him. “You and Ma ever break up?”

He shakes his head, dragging his hand through his hair. “God, I love your mother, but she would let that sister of hers rileher up, and then there was no reasoning with her. We used to break up often. Too often for my liking.”

“When? Like thirty, forty years ago?”

“Shit, son, it was a long time ago, that’s for sure.”

I nod, mulling over if it would be worth it to blurt out the secret I’ve been keeping for months. Fuck it, no time like the present.

“What about thirty-one years ago? Were you and Ma on a break then?”

Dad’s gaze slides to mine, and he holds it for a beat. “Is there something you want to ask me?”

“Are you my biological father?”

His lips part and his eyes widen. “Why would you ask me that?”

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