Page 66 of Finally Found You

“Do you think he does?” she murmurs.

“What does your heart say?”

“That he does,” she mumbles, her voice wavering.

“You know how many kids are made like you were?” I ask, hoping this will help. “In vitro and artificial insemination are common these days, and all those kids are loved by their parents.”

“You mean like Uncle Aslan and Aunt Keaton’s babies?” she asks. “There are going to be four, but it’s because they implanted four embryos, and they all stuck.”

“And I bet you everyone is going to adore them, just like they love you,” I add, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

“Hux did say they love me.”

“So Huxley told you that?”

“No, I heard them say lots of things, including that my father seems to be a pathetic loser,” she admits.

My heart clenches. “Brothers are sometimes cruel. My advice is that you speak to your dad. You can always wait until you see your therapist if you need help navigating the subject.”

“Dad thinks there are things he should never discuss with me.” She sounds sad.

“Kenzy,” I say, my voice soft and comforting. “Show him that you can handle most things. He just needs to have the talk. Explain to him that you’re okay learning that even when you were made in an unorthodox way, you’re happy you exist. That’s the truth.”

I can almost hear her smile through the phone. “Thank you for walking me through this,” she says, more confident. “I’ll see you Monday.”

“I can’t wait. Take care of yourself, Kenzy,” I say, ending the call.

With a sigh, I push myself off the couch and head to the kitchen, needing something to distract myself. As I pass by the window, I pause, looking out into the dark night. The stars twinkle in the sky, a silent reminder that life is bigger than our problems, our worries, our insecurities. They’ve seen centuries come and go, witnessed heartbreak and joy, life and death.

And maybe someday they’ll see me fall in love again and find my happiness, just like everyone else has in my life. I’m glad that Kenzy is visiting, and I don’t have to see her father again. But my heart still misses him.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Lysander

As I step into the cozy guesthouse where we’re staying for the weekend, I find Kenzy wrapped in her favorite purple fuzzy blanket. Her arms hold her old unicorn tightly. It’s the one Cami gifted her for her seventh birthday.

“Is everything okay?” I ask, my voice echoing softly in the small living room.

She glances up at me, her grip on the unicorn tightening. “Are my uncles with you?”

“Nope. Gatz and Heath are staying at Elliot and Fern’s house. Hux went to Enid’s cottage and Aslan to his house,” I explain, sinking into the plush armchair opposite her. “Are you having trouble falling asleep?”

“I heard your earlier conversation,” she admits, her lips twisting. “The one where they said mom stole your junk.”

My blood freezes, and so does my tongue. I wasn’t prepared for this conversation, not yet, not now, and maybe never.

“You did, huh?” I manage to say, my mind racing.

She simply nods, her eyes never leaving mine. “Is that why you kicked my mom out?”

I run a hand through my hair, exasperation seeping into my bones. Why couldn’t she ask the easy questions? “It’s complicated,” I say, avoiding her gaze.

“But I’m old enough to understand,” she insists, a determination in her achingly familiar voice. “It’s better if you tell me than if I’m kept in the dark.”

I sigh, leaning back in the chair. “As you know, our family is well-off. Your mother was young, and she thought it’d be easy to get a rich husband. At the time, I was… dating her roommate. She saw an opportunity, and she took it.”

“She stole the condoms,” Kenzy says bluntly.