Jessica was washing the morning dishes when she heard the back door open and close.

She knew it was Seth and she turned around, giving him a warm smile, "how are you feeling today?"

He gave a long sigh and sat down. Jessica grabbed a cup and the pot of coffee and set it down in front of Seth.

"Can I get you some breakfast to go along with your coffee?"

He took a sip and shook his head, "no thank you. I'm sorry about yesterday. It was rude of me to just leave the room like I did and not return."

"I understand Seth. That visit from Glen was like an earthquake. I heard the both of you talking before I made my presence known. When you went upstairs he told me what the two of you were discussing."

Seth looked down at his coffee cup and wanted to clear his conscience, "he presented me with a birth certificate stating me as the father. He also showed me some baby photos, the resemblance to me as a child was uncanny."

"Seth that could just be an amazing coincidence. Do you know for sure the birth certificate is real?"

"It looked real enough to me but I'd have to check the records in New York State to be certain."

"Then let's do that Seth. We don't know anything about this man. Where he comes from? If he even knew your friend."

Seth shook his head, "nah I know he's telling the truth," Seth took another swig of his coffee. "I am his father."

Jessica was about to open her mouth to protest but Seth beat her to the punch.

"What I'm about to tell you is something I never told anyone in my life, not even Ruth. To me, the past is better left there. Dead. The present allows for new memories to blossom…like us," he placed his hand on hers and Jessica smiled.

She sat, listening to Seth's story about his much younger past.

"I told you about Molly, the girl I fell in love with here in Cabot Cove. When she and Richard ran off, I did some running myself. I packed up and left to attend college in Portland."

"Yes, I remember you telling me this after your short-lived reunion with Richard."

"Aah, I was not looking for love but then it happened. Ellen came into my life. She was smart, kind, a lot of fun…she made me feel better about myself."

"Go on."

"Well, around that time the military was looking for college men to train for the special forces. I took the exam and passed. I was to join the paratroopers in '43."

"I finished my freshman year and, to celebrate, Ellen and I and our friends Tim and Patty had a beach party on Memorial Day. It was the last time I'd be a free man before I joined up with Uncle Sam."

Jessica smiled at Seth, how handsome he must have looked in his paratrooper uniform. As handsome as Frank did in his Air Force uniform, for sure.

Seth continued. "I was so scared, not knowing what I'd gotten myself into. So, I asked Ellen to be my wife after the war was over."

"What happened?"

"She said, 'yes.' I was over the moon that night. We…did some celebrating and we…." Seth was embarrassed to continue so he got up and turned his back to Jessica. "We spent the night…together."

"Oh, I see," Jessica said quietly. This put things in a different perspective.

Seth did not like to talk about intimate relationships, he was never that kind of man. However, he felt a huge relief upon confessing to Jessica.

"I know it was wrong but, it felt so right at the time. We loved each other, we were going to married after the war"

"But, do you know for a fact that Glen is your child?"

"While I was in England, Ellen's letters were sent back to me marked 'return to sender.' I reached out to Tim who was still seeing Patty. Tim wrote that Ellen left college that Fall and mentioned she had met a local man. The two left Maine and that was the last anyone heard from her. Until Glen visited me yesterday."

"So you never received confirmation from Ellen that she was carrying YOUR child?"

Seth became blustery, "Oh come on woman! I saw his birth date on the certificate. It was 9 months from the time I was with Ellen. I don't have to tell you that…well, let's just say there were no precautions that night."

"Seth, come here." Jessica stood up and grabbed Seth by the hands.

"I know you. I know you would never take advantage of a woman or leave a child to grow up without a father. We need proof! Otherwise, this will eat at you and I love you too much to see you go through such pain."

Seth teared up and he enveloped Jessica in a big hug. He sniffed back a few tears.

"Oh Jessica, what did I do to deserve you? You don't know how…embarrassed I was to talk to you, to look you in the eyes."

"Whatever for? You know you can come to me with anything!"

"How could I come to you with a story about a woman I got pregnant, left behind and had a love child. Not exactly something you'd understand. Eve Simpson on the other hand…"

"Oh Seth. That's terrible," she chuckled. "But seriously, I know you aren't the type of man who would…be with a woman and then leave her especially if she was carrying a child."

"I was still afraid. I never was the Casanova type. Why, even in the Army, all I ever did was play poker and get drunk. Even when some of the village women offered their services, I declined. Of course, my buddies thought I was crazy."

"You have a good heart, Seth."

"When I came home, I was different. A changed man after all I experienced. Well, you heard my stories when Ben was here. After everything that happened to me before the war I wasn't too eager to return to Maine. So, I continued my education in New York City and that's where I met Ruth."

"I know Seth, and I'm glad you DID return to Cabot Cove, otherwise we would never have met."

"So, what do we do now?"

"Let me make some phone calls Seth, then we have to speak to Glen at Hill House."

"Oh Jess, I don't know if I can…"

"Seth, if it turns out he is your son you can start making up for lost time."