Chapter 20

After tossing and turning for most of the time Ryan checks the time on his phone. 12:45 and he still can't seem to fall asleep. He turns over to check and Alex and finds her sleeping soundly. He hated himself right now for raising his voice at her when she was only trying to help him. And the fact the she laid so close to the edge of the bed to give him room, and not sleeping sprawled out across his side of the bed as well, made the ache even more painful. He decides to get up, take a trip to the bathroom and goes downstairs.

He walked over the fridge to pour himself a glass of milk thinking that maybe that would help him fall asleep faster. This unexpected meeting with his dad hit him harder than he led on to believe. He tried to keep his emotions in check and not throw a punch at the guy but he somehow remained calm. He couldn't believe the nerve of that man showing up 21 years later acting as if nothing had happened prior to that or that he didn't walk out on them requesting what he did. He was deep in thought when Alex appeared on the staircase. "I was worried when you weren't in bed so I just came to check where you were." She said almost apologetically before turning to go back upstairs. "Alex wait." Ryan said getting up. "I need to tell you something." He continued when she turned to come downstairs again, while taking a seat on the opposite side of the table across from him. "I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier you were only trying to help, you didn't deserve that. I was pissed at my dad and I took it out on you." He said. She didn't say anything just nodded her head waiting for him to continue and tell her what's going on. "My dad showed up at work today after almost two decades. He's going to be in town for a while because he is doing some medical trail since he's been diagnosed with kidney failure." Ryan scratched his beard staring intently at a spot on the table before he continued. "If it happens that he doesn't get accepted for the trail he's going to need a donor and he asked me if I'm willing to get tested and see if we're a match so I can donate him one of my kidneys." He concluded blowing out a long steady breath. Alex's mouth dropped open and she didn't know what to say. So instead, she grabbed his hand and squeezed it a little.

"He left when I was about 9 or 10 and my mom had to work two jobs to take care of my three siblings and I. And to this day I will never forget that day he left us. He was supposed to take me to a football match and I sat outside on the porch after school and I waited for him for four hours and he never showed up." Ryan laughed a little at how bizarre this must all sound to Alex a grown man who is still hurt by the fact that his dad was never there for him and he had to teach himself how to be a better one that the father he never had. "Instead, he left my mom a note in their bedroom telling her that he's done and he won't come back again." Ryan stopped talking because he could feel that his voice would betray him at any moment now so he squeezed his eyes shut willing the tears to go away that was slowly forming in the corner of his eyes. "Nadia was only a baby I don't even think she remembers him." He said as he was thinking about his youngest sister. "And now he comes back after 21 years telling me how proud he is and how much he loves me. Funny how he never said any of those words while he was around but now that he needs something he suddenly thinks he can win the father of the year award. I didn't answer him. I got in the car and came home." He finished his milk, got up and put the glass in the sink. Alex walked over to him and hugged him tightly. He was hesitant at first but he couldn't control his emotions anymore and she soon felt him sobbing softly in the crook of her neck. "I'm so sorry." She whispered not knowing what else to say to make him feel any better at this moment. "Hey" she said looking at him while holding his neck and wiping some of the tears away with the pad of her thumbs. "No matter how hard this gets or all the ups and downs we may face, I need you to know that I'll always be here for you. I'm not going anywhere." She answered kissing him softly and hugging him one last time. She felt him nod against her neck. After a few moments of just standing there holding each other Ryan was the first one to let go. "Come on, let's get some sleep. We still got work tomorrow." He prompted holding out his hand so Alex could take it and follow him up stairs to their bedroom. Once they were in bed Alex scooted closer to him while pressing her front to his back and resting her head in the middle of his shoulder blades.

Hope you enjoy. I wanted to write his dad in and didn't know how exactly so I hope it wasn't too much of a disappointment, and I also wanted to show a softer side of Ryan. Enjoy the read. Lovies-S.