Page 94 of Second Chance for the Single Mom

“Hi, Bran Bran,” she said. “Have you been good for Aunt Sara?”

“He’s been coloring all day,” she explained.

“I’m drawing cars!” Bran announced. “I think I want to be a car scientist when I grow up.”

I joined him at the table, laughing. “Car scientist?”

“Yes. A scientist that works on cars,” he explained, as if it should have been obvious to me.

“That sounds like a good job,” I agreed.

Haley cleared her throat and joined us. “Bran? Can you put your colored pencils down? I want to talk to you for a moment.”

Bran finished coloring the hood of the car he was drawing, then put the pencil down next to the others and looked at her.

My heart felt like it was trying to pound its way out of my chest.

“Do you remember what I told you about your father?” she asked gently.

Bran nodded. “You told me that he loves me, but has areallybusy life and job.”

“That’s right.” Haley looked at me. “He had a really busy life, and moved to Detroit to learn how to be an engineer. But he came back to Vancouver two months ago. Bran… Lucas is your father.”

There it was. The words were out there. We couldn’t take them back.

Bran slowly turned his head to face me. I smiled.

“Is this why my middle name is Luke?” he asked me.

I gave a start. “Your middle name is Luke?”

“It is,” Haley said, taking my hand and squeezing it. “And yes, Bran Bran. Your middle name is Luke because your father is Lucas.”

My vision began to shimmer.

“You were in Detroit?” Bran asked me.

“I was really immature,” I admitted. “I wasn’t ready to be a dad. That’s why your mom didn’t tell me about you. But I’m all grown up now, and I’m ready to be a dad, so she told me.”

“That’s why you learned about cars? So you could be a good dad with a job and teachmeabout cars?” he asked.

“Something like that,” I said with a laugh.

Bran frowned with thought, then nodded. “Can I go back to coloring now?”

Haley glanced at me, then said, “In a minute. We just told you something very important, Bran. How does it make you feel?”

“Well,” Bran said, “I’mveryangry.”

My heart felt like it had been dunked in ice water.

“Why are you angry?” Haley asked.

Bran glared at me. “Because you borrowed my speaker, then broke it.”

Laughter poured out of my throat, tinged with relief. “I’m really sorry. Will you forgive me if I buy you a replacement?”

“Andtake us to play mini-golf again?” he insisted.

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