I Ran So Far Away - Complete

Chapter 63

The last few weeks had been crazy. Between work, Elliot's birthday, mentoring Saul and spending as much time with my parents as I could, before I knew it, it was almost Thanksgiving. Teddy had come down with a cold, and though it wasn't serious, Anastasia decided not to go to work today, choosing to spend the day at home with our son. While I had planned for Teddy and me to greet the GEH plane with Aisling and David on board at Boeing Field, it was Taylor and me waiting.

"Just be yourself," Taylor commented, no doubt witnessing my bouncing leg as I sat staring out at the private runway and recognizing my agitation.

The GEH jet touched down perfectly – a testament to Stephan's professionalism. Knowing my birth family were unused to pomp and splendor, I had briefed security to be hands off as much as possible while they visited. Taylor would accompany us on our journey, Reynolds and Sawyer following at a discreet distance behind.

"Great to see you!" David exclaimed, pulling me into a hug once they made it into the private landing terminal. For half a second, I tensed, unused to his embrace. I forced myself to think about Teddy – how holding him against me was natural and felt good. Surely it would have been the same had I known David as my father from the outset.

"I hope you had a pleasant flight?" I inquired.

"It was awesome! I still can't believe you have your own plane!" Aisling gushed.

"Before Anastasia and Teddy, I traveled a lot for business. It's a lot more convenient and comfortable to fly direct."

"You've got the comfortable bit right," David said with a chuckle. "Every time I turned around, we were being offered food, drink, and even a blanket."

I smiled in satisfaction. I'd told my staff David and Aisling were VIP and were to have every courtesy extended to them.

"Ana's sorry she couldn't be here to greet you. Teddy has a cold, and she didn't want to bring him out in this weather. Now... we could head straight to our house in Medina, but if you're not too tired, I thought you might enjoy a quick visit to Grey House? That's where GEH is based," I said trying not to sound too proud.

"We'd love to see it," David said climbing into the back of the SUV with Aisling. "Nice to see you again, Taylor."

"You too, sir," Taylor replied.

"Taylor – Grey House, please," I said, sitting in the passenger seat at the front.

I spent the short journey to Grey House pointing out Seattle landmarks. Initially, I'd planned to treat my birth family to dinners and trips to the finest establishments Seattle offered, but Anastasia had rightly pointed out that might overwhelm them. Instead, she'd suggested a few sightseeing activities along with family-based activities.

"Will it be ok at your work?" David asked as Taylor pulled into the underground garage, parking in my usual reserved spot. "Who shall we say we are?"

I turned to face him in the back seat. "David and Aisling O'Riley, of course."

"What Da means what do we say if people ask why we're with you? I mean – you're his spitting image."

"No one will ask," I replied confidently. "You need to understand, I am a very private person. There may well be conjecture, but other than my COO, no one would dare question me about it." Escorting them into the elevator, I hit the button for the ground floor. While I wouldn't show them every floor, the lobby was a good place to start their tour.

"This is beautiful," Aisling gasped when we stepped out onto the Italian marble floor, looking around her in wonder. "Did you build it from scratch?"