Fragile Heart

Chapter 22

Chapter 22- Layla

My heart almost stopped at what I saw before me.

"Jordi... That's my dad. My real dad."

His eyes widen. "What?! Uncle Richard is your dad?" He says, completely shocked. I only nod. "H-How?"

"I don't know, but I know that's him. I was told he died of a car accident when I was three. I never really had a chance to know him. Before my mom passed away, she gave me pictures of him. There were so many; most were of him holding me and playing with me in the yard. She gave me some of them two when they first started dating. I have a few of just him. I can go get them to prove it. But Jordi, I know that's him! That's my dad!"

I can tell he's shocked. "Okay, umm, well let's just- lets go upstairs and you can get some of these pictures. We can go talk to my dad after." He looks into my eyes as he says this. I can see the wheels in his head turning.

After retrieving a whole bunch of pictures I kept in a little blue jewelry box, I brought them to Jordi.

I have all of my stuff here now permanently. After knowing it was safe to go back to the house, a few of us went back and took all of my things along with Ben's.

I hand him a bunch of the pictures and he just motions for me to follow him. When we come to a stop he knocks on a door and when the door cracks open I realize it must be Mr. Darren's office.

"Hey dad, I have some news..." He looks up from his desk over to his son and I.

"What is it guys?"

Jordi looks to me. "Well, Mr. Darren, um do you know your old bestfriend or whoever who always travels and stuff?"

He looks confused as I ask him. "Richard... haven't talked to him in a while. Why do you ask?"

Jordi speaks now, "Well I was showing Lay some pictures of mom and found this one from when the pack told her how amazing of a Luna she was at the BBQ. Layla recognized Uncle Richard..." He trails off.

"And...?"

I speak up again. "He's my father."

"What!?!?" Darren stands up and yells out.

"Yeah, look. I have all these pictures of him and me before he supposedly died." Jordi hands over the pictures and his dad just scans over them.

"Died? What are you talking about?"

"Well, when I was about 3 my dad supposedly died. My mom was diagnosed with cancer when I was around nine and before she died she told me the full story and left me a bunch of pictures of us, them, and some of just him. Her story was that when I was three he was involved in a fatal car accident on the way back home. She said after his funeral she decided to move to where we were at the time and that Marcus eventually popped into the picture. And ten came Ben and soon enough, she forgot about him." My mom used to cry when she would talk about my real dad. It always made me cry too because I never really had a relationship with my father. Apparently I still cry when I talk about it because Jordi lifts up my head and our eyes meet, his thumb caressing my cheek, wiping away tears.

"Oh my gosh, this doesn't make sense. Why would she tell you all of that when he clearly wasn't dead an- Oh my gosh." He realizes something.

"What? What's wrong dad?" Jordi asks.

"Richard told me this whole story. I didn't know that your mom would tell you all of that but I know why he wasn't in your life."

"Well tell us!" Jordi yells.