The emotion of the day had taken its toll on Evelyn and Rafe took her upstairs so she could rest. When he'd closed their bedroom door behind him, he walked down the hall to Danny's room. He thought if it were just the two of them, he could explain things a little better.
He knocked softly on the door and didn't hear anything so he opened it and Danny was face down on the bed. "Is it all right if I come in son?"
Danny rolled over and Rafe could see he was as upset as his mother was. He knew they were going to have to talk, mother and son, so he could hear her side of things. "But I'm not your son."
Rafe stepped into the room and pulled out a desk chair that had been tucked in and he sat down next to the bed. "Let's get one thing straight Daniel. You are my son and I've never thought of you as anythin' but. Am I makin' myself clear?"
Danny propped himself up on his elbows. "Yes sir. Do you ever see him in me?"
Rafe nodded. "I do sometimes, but I never dwell on it because what I see in you more is your mama. You are a lot like her."
"Daddy, what was he like?"
"Danny was my best friend and we grew up together like brothers. He helped me get through school because I had trouble with my readin' sometimes and he went into the Air Corps with me and we became pilots for the Army."
"But what was he like?"
"He was quiet, a little serious and he liked to read. His daddy didn't treat him real good sometimes so he was over here a lot with us."
"Did he like to fly?"
"He did, but his feelin' about flyin' was different then mine. There was so much more to Danny than that and it makes me wonder sometimes how you got my love of flyin'."
"I still don't understand somethin'." Danny frowned.
"What's that son?" Rafe could sense what he was about to ask.
"If he was your best friend, how could he do what he did?"
Rafe sighed. "Danny fell in love with her, just like I did. What you need to understand is that one of the reasons they found each other was that they knew me and thought I was dead. I remember Danny tellin' me that it had gutted them both and I believe that. I didn't at the time because I was so angry with them both and I did the one thing that I've always regretted, I hit him."
"How could she do that to you?"
"Son, it wasn't like she had been unfaithful. As far as she knew I was dead and she was tryin' to move forward with her life. She told you the truth when she said they didn't plan it and she told me that after it happened she wished it hadn't because things between them were movin' too fast."
"So if they hadn't done what they did, I wouldn't be here."
"That's right and I wouldn't trade havin' you in my life for anythin'."
"Thanks Daddy." Danny cracked a smile for the first time in a week.
That made Rafe grin back. "For what son?"
"For lovin' Mama and me so much."
"It's been real easy Danny." He got up and tucked the chair back in. "I want you to think about somethin' for me."
"What?" His son looked at him with curiosity.
"It wasn't easy for your mama to talk about all of that today because we haven't talked about what happened between her and Danny since before you were born. We knew we'd have to tell you that I wasn't your real father when you were old enough, but it always seemed so far away. We never wanted you to find out the way you did and I'm real sorry about that."
"Daddy, why were you talkin' last week?"
"Mama and I agreed after you were born that we would tell you in time and we keep talkin' about it while you were growin' up. We always waited until you kids had gone to bed or were outside before we would discuss anythin'. When we were talkin' last week, we didn't know you were upstairs."
Danny sat up on the edge of the bed. "But why tell me at all? If I hadn't heard you talkin', I never would have known."
"Danny, what happened last week was what Mama and I were always afraid of. If it hadn't been us, it might have been your grandparents or anyone who knew what happened then. We wanted to be the ones to sit you down and explain things when we were ready."
He nodded.
"Have I made this any easier for you?" Rafe looked at him.
"Everythin' feels so different now."
"That's only natural son. You found out somethin' about yourself you didn't know and it's goin' to take some time to get used to it." He tried to reassure the boy.
"Can I still call you Daddy?" And Rafe could see the tears well up in his eyes again, so he sat down next to Danny and put an arm around his shoulders.
"You can always call me Daddy because you are my son, that will never change."
That did it and Danny put his arms around Rafe and cried. He pulled his son to him and held him as the anger and confusion about who he was took over. He was so much like Evelyn. "I love you Daddy."
"I love you too son, that will never change either." Rafe reassured him.
When Danny had collected himself Rafe stood up. "Why don't you go ahead downstairs. Supper's probably ready by now and I want to go check on your mama. She's had a tough week too."
Danny stood up next to his father and they walked to the door. "I never thought about how Mama feels about you. I could always see it in the way she looked at you."
"Then that's what you need to remember. Go on downstairs son."
"Are you comin'?" He asked as they walked toward the top of the stairs.
"I'll be down later." He told Danny as they stopped at his bedroom door. "Tell your grandmother that Mama and I will have supper later."
"All right Daddy." And he cracked a smile at Rafe before he headed down the stairs.
Rafe opened the door and he saw Evelyn curled up on the bed, her eyes closed. He walked over to the bed and curled up behind her and put his arm around her waist.
She stirred and sighed. "How is he?"
"He'll be all right honey. He's workin' through it."
"What he must think of me." Evelyn said quietly.
"He's workin' through that too honey, just give him time. You told me that last week remember?"
"I remember."
"He'll be fine Evelyn, he's our son after all." He told her and sighed. "I told Danny to tell Mama we'd be down later."
"Thank you Rafe."
"You're welcome." And he pulled her against him as they went to sleep.