Page 22 of A Crossroads Christmas

Surprised, I didn’t know what to say.

“Here. Open it.”

I took the box from Wraith’s hands and tore into it, ripping off the paper. A stupid grin widened my lips, and I couldn’t help it. I’d gone so many years without experiencing something as simple as opening gifts that it meant everything to me that he’d gone through the effort.

When I removed the paper and opened the box, I glanced down at the steel plaque. It looked like something I should hang on my living room wall, but I wasn’t sure because the words confused me. The black sign read CORNELL Henry Heather Est. 2024.

I stayed silent for a minute, unsure how to respond. “It says Cornell.”

“It does,” he agreed.

“That’s your last name.”

“It sure is, Spook,” he confirmed.

I blinked, processing what this meant. “Are you saying,” I began, suddenly unable to clear a large lump in my throat, “th-that I’m y-y-your. . .”

“My son,” Wraith confirmed. “Yes. That’s exactly what the fuck I’m sayin’.” His palm rose and pressed to his chest. “I got to be the lucky one to be your sponsor. Not a day went by that I regretted doing it. You’re in here, kid. We’ve gotten close since you patched in. I don’t like that you’re stuck with a generic last name.”

After the man who took me as a child kept changing my last name as often as he moved cities, I didn’t want to use any of the ones he’d given me. The last names of my birth parents didn’t feel right either. Once I was old enough, I changed it to Smith. It didn’t seem any better since it had no connections to anyone. Generic and meaningless, it left an ache in my heart that I never spoke aloud.

“So,” Wraith continued, “I can’t stand the idea of you having Smith as your last name. You’re mine, Henry.” His voice cracked, and I had to blink hard not to cry. “I want you to be a Cornell if you’ll be happy with it.”

Happy? I was fucking ecstatic!

Someone loved me enough to want to share their name with me. I didn’t know how grateful and humbling that would feel until now.

“Wraith,” I choked.

“Jasper. This isn’t a club function or decision.”

“Jasper.”

“Or better yet.Dad.”

“But you have Zane.”

“I got enough in here.” He tapped his heart. “For you both.”

I shot to my feet, trembling as I sucked in giant gulps of air. A dad. Ifinallyhad a father. I’d never wanted anything more in my entire life except for Heather and Asher.

Every heartache over what had been done to me by men I trusted as a child and teen dulled when I saw the hopeful smile on Wraith’s face.

“Is that a yes, Henry?” he asked as he stood and rubbed sweaty palms on his jeans. Wow. He was nervous, probably because he wasn’t sure if this was what I wanted.

I couldn’t help my reaction. I lunged in his direction, crashing into him as Wraith laughed and hugged me against him, confident and secure enough in his manhood that he didn’t worry about how it would look.

“Love ya, son. I hope this means we’re a family now because I already feel that way. So does Tawni. Zane agreed too.”

Son. He called meson. The healing sensations that filled my body were almost more than I could handle.

How did I contain all this joy in my body? It threatened to spill free, bursting from my skin and lighting up the sky with its illumination.

“I love you too,Dad.”

Wraith sniffled, and I couldn’t hold back the tears filling my eyes. I realized I had gotten the best Christmas of my entire life, and nothing would ever surpass it.

“I guess I need to change my identification.”

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