Stunned at what had just happened, at the depth of Brian’s words and what they meant, Jimmy stood in the kitchen, unable to move. He had always felt blessed by David’s presence in their home. He was a gift to them, and as David liked to say, he kept their lives from being boring. But perhaps for the first time, he considered what he had given David—not just a roof and a room and support to launch into life with a strong faith and confidence in himself, but also a knowledge that he was loved unconditionally. He had always tried to treat David so he knew his father’s love wasn’t about how he performed but because he was a beloved son and always would be.

From the living room, Jimmy heard Presley say, “Daddy!” Brian picked her up and lifted her high.

Jimmy turned toward the wall and put his soda on the counter and tried to take in what he had heard and what was happening in that house. When he looked up, David was walking into the kitchen. The sight made Jimmy’s heart swell.

“I love you, Dad,” David said, moving toward him and giving him a hug that Jimmy knew he would never forget.

Jimmy patted David on the back and they embraced until Susan came in the kitchen. She didn’t ask anything, just joined them in the hug.

CHAPTER 30

On the drive to the hotel that night, David talked about what he had discovered about Brian and some of the questions he still had about grandparents and extended family.

“Brian is not the most talkative person,” Nate said.

“Yeah, but I felt like he was really glad to see David,” David’s dad said.

His mother turned in her seat. “Azure told me that from her perspective, this whole thing has done something to Brian.”

“What do you mean?” David said.

“She told me he cried when he told her about what happened. She said Brian never cries about anything.”

“I can believe that,” Nate said.

“Just before we left,” his mother continued, “she pointed out how Brian was holding Presley and hugging her. She said she hasn’t seen him do that in a long time. Almost like he’s free of something that was holding him back.”

Nate turned to David. “What do you think Melissa wants to show you tomorrow?”

David shrugged. “She wouldn’t say.”

Back in the hotel, David called dibs on the shower. He felt emotionally wrung out. Nate found something on the TV he wanted to watch and David spent a half hour under the flow of hot water, the emotion rising about all he had experienced the past few days. He shook his head at the mysteries of the past that were solved and the ones that weren’t.