Brave Enough To Love Again

Chapter 47

Keane

"What's going on here? What's with the serious faces?" He demanded to know as he let himself fall on the couch before sighing. "Ugh. Work is so damn stressful. Dad, no wonder you had a heart attack. It's so fûcking much. You need to take it easy once you start working again."

"I don't know how long I can do this for you, dad," he grinned, "Well? Anyone gonna tell me what's up?"

James and I sat down too. Both of us were unsure of how to break the news to him and our mouths opened and shut simultaneously without making a peep. Then Levi saw the documents on the coffee table, leaned over and grabbed them before asking, "What are these?" As his eyes moved over the pages from left to right, realizing with each word he read what those were, his eyebrows shifted higher and higher up his forehead. When he was done reading through it he looked up and cleared his throat, "What's the meaning of this?" It seemed like he had trouble choking out the words out of his mouth. He stared at his father for an answer.

"It's a paternity test that proves that I am Keane's father."

"I'm not an idiot. I know that after looking at it. But, how? When? What? This is crazy." Levi stood up and moved away from the couch towards the open glass doors and stared into the pool. "So, help me out here." He turned around to face his father once again. "You slept with his mother while mom was pregnant with me?" Levi pointed at me at the mention of my mother, and that was also the first time he acknowledged my involvement in the situation after reading the document. He hadn't even glanced at me since reading the documents.

"Wait. I am three months older than Keane, so," he began pacing back and forth while trying to make sense of the shocking news, "So, you cheated on my mother while she was pregnant with me?" His words stung, to say the least, but I was sure James felt the pain of Levi's words much more intense than I did.

"Ha!" His voice raised in volume as his walking around got faster with every realization that hit him, "I should have expected this. It's not surprising, really. Pff. Thank goodness mom is not alive anymore to witness this."

"Levi, watch your words."

"Yeah. Whatever. Of course I am not glad my mother is dead," Levi had closed the distance between him and his father who had gotten up on his feet. They were staring into each other's eyes. "But at least she didn't have to live a single day in your presence knowing that not only did you not love her, could not, would not, or whatever. But that you also cheated on her."

All this time I just sat there and watched the whole scene unable to do or say anything. However, I felt each and every word that was being spoken, and those last ones were hurtful alright, but that didn't make them less true.

James lowered his eyes at his son's truthful accusation and began to stutter, "I, I. You're right, of course. With everything you said. I didn't love her the way a husband should love her wife. It was a different kind of affection I felt for her. But what's important is that I respected her, and I never wanted to hurt her.

All I know is that the night Keane was conceived I was drunk to the point of passing out. No, I will not blame my parents and my in laws for this. As usual, because it was me who did wrong. But that night was one of the nights I had an explosive fight with all of those ungrateful life meddlers, may they all Rest In Peace." James paused for a few moments before continuing.