Page 38 of Caleb

His mirror growing up hadn’t been a good one. His father’s anger, his mother’s quiet despair—it was a reflection he’d spent years trying to avoid. And yet, the fear lingered, whispering that he might not be any different.

Would he make the same mistakes? Would he let anger or fear define him the way it had described his father? Would Liam one day look at him and see the cracks Caleb had spent his life trying to hide?

The thought chilled him, but deep down, a flicker of hope stirred. Maybe, just maybe, the reflection Liam saw didn’t have to be the same. Maybe Caleb could be better.

But what if I’m not enough?

A sharp, lilting voice broke through his spiraling thoughts.

“Well, look at you, pacing a hole in the floor. All that brooding and not a lick of action to show for it.”

Caleb stopped mid-step, his head snapping to see Eugenia perched in the armchair by the window. Her form shimmered faintly, her hands folded neatly in her lap as she watched him with amusement and exasperation.

“Eugenia,” he muttered, dragging a hand through his hair. “Not now.”

“Oh,especiallynow,” she said, rising from the chair in one smooth motion. Her voice had an edge of playfulness, but her eyes were sharp, cutting straight through him. “You’ve got a lot on your mind, don’t you, sweetness? Seems like the perfect time for a little wisdom from beyond the grave.”

Caleb let out a frustrated sigh, crossing his arms. “I don’t need wisdom. I need... I don’t even know what I need.”

“Well, for starters,” she said, floating closer, “you need to stop pacing like a caged horse and start thinking about what you’ll do next. I’d think a ring might be in order.”

He turned away, his jaw tightening. “What can I do, Eugenia? I just found out I have a son. Athree-year-old son.”

“Yes, and he’s a fine boy,” Eugenia said, her tone softening. “Sharp as a tack too. He’s got the Burnett spark, that’s for sure. Oh, how I love seeing my grandchildren.”

At her words, fear clutched Caleb and he sank back onto the bed, his elbows on his knees. “What if I’m not good enough for him? What if I mess this up? I don’t even know how to be a dad. I didn’t have a good example.”

Eugenia floated closer, her expression turning serious. “You’re already better than you think, Caleb. The fact that you’re even asking these questions means you’re nothing like your father.”

He flinched at her words, but she pressed on.

“You’re not that man, Caleb. Not unless you choose to be.” Her voice softened, carrying a weight that silenced his rebuttal. “Your father built walls so high, no one could climb them. He didn’t care enough to ask the questions you’re asking now. He didn’t even see the value in trying.”

Caleb looked up at her, his throat tight. “What if I don’t know how to be better? What if I end up making the same mistakes he did?”

Eugenia smiled gently, her shimmering form bending slightly as she leaned closer. “Mistakes are part of the deal, sweetheart. You’ll make them. Plenty of them. But the difference is, you’ll try. You’ll show up. That’s more than your father ever did.”

Absolutely, he’d try. He’d be there for his son—at baseball games, birthday parties, and all the in-between moments that made a childhood special. When Liam had questions, Caleb would do his best to answer them, and if he didn’t know the answer, he’d admit it, and they’d figure it out together.

One thing was certain: he would not repeat his father’s mistakes. He would not steal the magic of childhood from his son the way his father had stolen it from him. Caleb would break the cycle. He had to.

The words settled over him like a balm, easing some of the tension radiating from him.

“And besides,” she continued, her tone lightening, “don’t you think I want to meet my latest great-several-times-over-grandson? Burnett boys are my pride and joy, you know.”

A faint smile tugged at his lips despite the storm still swirling inside him. “He’s not ready to meet a ghost, Eugenia.”

“Nonsense,” she said, waving a translucent hand. “That boy’s got Burnett blood in him. He’ll handle it just fine.”

Caleb shook his head, a quiet laugh escaping him. “You’re impossible. I never saw you before.”

“Oh, I was there. That’s because none of you blasted kids were getting married. Someone had to save this family,” she said. “Twelve of you and not a one married until I stepped in.”

“Travis married,” he said.

“Until some drunk ended that marriage, and then he was never going to marry again,” she said.

None of them had been interested in getting married, and that’s when she’d shown up, scaring the crap out of all of them.

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