Page 34 of The Secrets We Keep

SOPHIE

The following weekend I take Asher to his grandparents’ house. It’s still weird to say that.Grandparents.I never thought that Asher would have that. I never thought that my son would have his family, but I’m so grateful that things have turned out like they did. I just can’t help feeling that Gray’s parents hate me for everything I put him through.For everything I put them through.

I pull my new SUV into the driveway and park behind the garage. Grayson insisted on getting me a new vehicle, he said that no amount of work would make my vehicle safe enough for his woman and his child. I won’t lie; it made me swoon a little bit. Getting used to a top-of-the-line vehicle when I had a basic model that was falling apart, is a whole new ballgame, though. It took me thirty minutes to figure out the gear shift. I wish I was kidding.

After double checking that I actually have the vehicle in park, I hop out of the vehicle and open Asher’s door. He hops out, having already unbuckledhimself, and dashes toward the door. His eagerness to spend time with his grandparents and his Aunt Ella makes my heart swell.

I take a deep breath and follow him onto the porch and to the front door. Before we even get a chance to knock, the door swings open and Lisa is standing there with a huge smile on her face.

“There’s our boy!” She calls out, throwing her arms wide so Asher can run into them.

“Grandma!” He cheers, but his voice is muffled by her chest. “I’m so excited!” He says when he pulls back and smiles at her.

“We are too, buddy,” she says as she ruffles her hair. “Come on in.”

I follow them awkwardly, closing the door behind me. We walk into the living room and find Kurt sitting in his recliner, watching a baseball game.

“Grandpa!” Asher says as he rushes him.

Kurt lets out an oomph as Asher throws himself onto his lap. “Hey, little man,” he chuckles. “Good to see you.”

“We’re going to have so much fun,” Asher tells him as he beams up at him.

“You bet, buddy,” Kurt murmurs with a smile before turning to me. “Hey Soph.”

I give him a small smile back. “Hey.”

Kurt must read my awkwardness, though, becausehe sends Asher on a mission. “Hey Ash, why don’t you go find your Aunt Ella and let her know you’re here?”

“Okay!” He cheers as he jumps from the chair and rushes down the hallway.

“What’s going on, Soph?” Kurt asks when Asher is out of earshot.

Lisa’s brow furrows as she takes a seat on the arm of Kurt’s chair. “Is everything okay?”

“Everything is fine,” I rush out. “Why would anything be wrong? Everything is perfect.”

Lisa holds her hand up to stop my rambling. “Sweetheart, we know you better than that,” she says. “Just tell us.”

I sigh and take a seat on the large sectional. “Do you guys hate me?” I mutter.

“What?” Kurt asks.

“Why would we hate you?” Lisa asks.

“Because I kept Asher from Grayson. Because I kept him from you,” I mutter. “I left town and didn’t tell a soul that I was pregnant. I stayed away for seven years. Grayson missed out on six years of his son’s life. You guys missed out on six years with your grandson. How could you not be mad at me?”

Lisa rises from the arm of the recliner and sits beside me on the sectional. She takes my hand in hers as Kurt sits up and turns the television down.

“Sweetheart, we could never be mad at you forprotecting our son and grandson. You were doing what was best for us all. As much as it hurts that we didn’t get to be a part of Asher’s first six years of life, it would hurt more to know that we would have never met him if you didn’t do what you did. It’s not just him that we missed out on, it’s you.”

I didn’t even realize tears were streaming down my face until Lisa reaches out to swipe the tears from my cheeks.

“You were already like a daughter to us before you started dating Grayson,” she continues. “We were thrilled when you two got together because we knew that it would eventually mean that you became an official part of the family. It didn’t happen the way we wanted it to, but it’s still happening. I know that you didn’t want to be away from Grayson because I could see how much you loved him. It was undeniable. You wanted a life with him, and I know that it would have taken a lot to keep you away from him,” she tells me as she squeezes my hand.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t see what was happening with your dad,” Kurt speaks up.

My eyes shoot to his. “What?” I whisper.

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