AN: This is final part of the future-take and we've come to the end of this story. It's certainly been a journey and a half. I never expected it to become so in depth but these characters had a lot to say. I'm still finding it hard to let them go and move onto the next project, of which I have many possibilities.

See you at the end for some final words.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer still owns Twilight and the characters we all love dearly (most of them!).

Deceit and Destiny Future-take Part 3

Connor

After talking to Mom and Dad about my meet-up with Jake, all thoughts of him were pushed to the back of my mind as Hannah and I enjoyed our final summer before we got down to the serious business of college.

With classes beginning the last Monday in August, the weekend before saw the whole family wanting to come and help. So, both sets of twins rode with Mom, who followed Hannah, Harley, and me as we rode with Dad. Most places were within walking or at least cycling distance, so it was decided that we'd leave my Volvo at home for now, and bring our bikes instead.

Finding a parking lot close to our dorm building, bikes, boxes, bags, and suitcases were unloaded and shared between the four adults, with a few of the lighter things being handled by the twins and Harley.

Stopping outside the building where we had separate rooms, Hannah and I showed our ID cards and introduced ourselves to the RA, then took the elevator to the third floor to my room. Piling my things into the bedroom, we then moved on to Hannah's room, three doors along and on the opposite side of the hall.

"We can stay and help you both unpack if you like," Mom suggested.

I pulled her into a hug. I knew Mom would be feeling sad that the two of us were taking that first step into the adult world, even if it was only half a step. Although I would've liked it to be something Hannah and I did together, it was something Mom needed. I looked at Hannah over her shoulder, receiving a slight nod of her head. Sometimes, it was as if she could read my mind.

"Of course, that would be a great help, Mom, thanks."

The two of them started on the unpacking with some help from Harley, while the rest of us got out of the way.

"That was a nice thing to do for your mom, Connor," Dad said as he stood beside me. "She's going to be sad for a while, but she'll be fine. How about we leave them to it and find somewhere to eat?"

A cheer came from the boys at the suggestion of food, Penny and Harley agreeing easily. "Good plan, Dad. I'll let them know."

Using the campus map I'd downloaded, we found a student café within walking distance and took over two tables, ordering pizza and drinks for the seven of us. Forty minutes later, Mom and Hannah joined us, ordering their own food.

"That didn't take long." Dad smirked at Mom.

Mom made a face at him. "We're pretty efficient, and it's not as if there was a lot to do. I made the bed while Hannah put away her clothes, then we did the same for Connor," she said.

When we'd finished eating, we walked back to the parking lot, congregating between the two cars.

"Well, it's time we were off," Dad said as he pulled me into his arms. "You take care of yourself and Hannah, son. If you need anything at all, call me or your mom. Okay?"

I nodded, then walked into Mom's arms. "I'm going to miss you so much, Connor."

"Don't cry, Mom. We'll be home in a couple of months for Thanksgiving."

"I know, but I'll still miss you." She sniffed.

Dad reached for Hannah. "Come on, sweetheart, give me a hug."

He whispered something to her, to which she nodded, then moved to Mom's side, both of them watching Oliver, Penny, Luke, and Gabe hug me then Hannah. Mom wiped her fingers under her eyes, then climbed into her car with the twins, waiting for Dad to get into his.

"I'm going to miss you, Connor," Harley said. "You will be home for Thanksgiving, won't you?"

"Of course," I answered, hugging her. "I wouldn't miss it."

"Okay, Harley, let's get going," Dad reminded her. "See you soon, bud. Remember, call me if you need anything."

I nodded and hugged him again, swallowing around the lump in my throat. It wasn't as if I hadn't been away from home before, but somehow this was different. Eventually, I stepped back, Hannah and I winding our arms around each other, and waving until both cars were out of sight.

I took a deep breath and kissed the top of her head. "Well, this is it, sweetheart. What should we do first? Explore?"

"Yep, watching the videos of the campus isn't the same."

~ oOo ~

Hannah and I spent the four-day Thanksgiving break back at home, and I hadn't realized how much I would miss family life even though both Hannah and I were enjoying college immensely. It was the first time either of us had spent any length of time away from home, even having missed Gabe and Oliver's bickering.

Now, it was almost two weeks until Christmas, and we were waiting in the communal living area. Dad had called to say he was ten minutes away, and we walked out into a gray day, rain, and a temperature of forty degrees. I shivered and helped Hannah zip her coat and put on her beanie before doing the same myself.

"Geez! It's cold today," I exclaimed as I wrapped my arms around her.

A few minutes later, Dad pulled up at the curb and climbed out of the car, rounding the trunk and grinning at me. He pulled me into his arms for a hug. He never did that half-way man-hug thing, and I hugged him back just as hard. Though Mom was one of the most important women in my life, Dad and I had a special relationship. He chose me as his son.

"It's good to see you, son," he said as he stepped back.

"You too. Wow, Dad! Sweet ride," I exclaimed as I looked at the new car parked at the curb.

I walked around it, inspecting the exterior. I knew Dad was thinking about changing his car, but the black BMW SUV parked at the curb was something else.

"I needed a new one, and it seemed useful to have one with seven seats. I've had the same model a few times, so I thought it was time for a change."

He turned to Hannah, giving her a gentler hug before pulling back and smiling at her. "Hi, sweetie. How are you?"

"Fantastic, thanks, Edward," she replied. "Glad to be spending some time at home, though."

"It'll be great to have you home for a while, and I'm sure Mom will fuss over both of you. Come on, we should get moving. Penny wasn't feeling well this morning, so your mom decided to stay with her, but she's itching to have you home."

While Hannah slid into the seat behind the driver's one, Dad and I piled our bags into the trunk, then jumped into the car, dragging off my jacket and beanie and fastening my belt. Dad pulled out into the traffic, heading for home.

We chatted about college and the subjects I'd been studying, as well as the area local to the college. We'd been at an end-of-term party that had gone on longer than expected, and it didn't take long for the warmth of the car to send Hannah off to sleep, and I was finding it hard to keep my eyes open.

"You can sleep if you want, bud. It's okay," Dad said.

The next time I opened my eyes, we were pulling into the driveway of the house. The front door opened within seconds of Dad turning the engine off, and Mom practically ran down the front steps and yanked my door open.

"Connor," she cried. "I'm so glad to see you."

I stepped out of the car, Mom pulling me into her arms. For someone so small she always could hug really hard, so I gasped theatrically. "Can't . . . breathe," I wheezed.

She lessened her grip, and I hugged her back, the comforting scent of her usual perfume surrounding me. "I know it's only been a month, but I missed you," I said quietly.

"I missed you, too, honey."

I let her go, and she moved to Hannah, enveloping her in her arms, whispering something I couldn't hear.

"Come on." Dad's voice broke into the greetings. "It's cold enough to freeze the—" He broke off as Mom gave him 'the look' then continued. "Let's get inside," he said instead, smirking at her.

After fetching our bags and dumping them in the laundry room, we congregated in the kitchen. It smelled of pot roast, cookies baking, and the Christmassy pine scent of the huge decorated tree that stood in the entrance hall, its lights sending a warm sparkle throughout the hall and up the staircase. The house lights were already on, too, as the rain was making the early afternoon seem darker.

Although I was enjoying college, I couldn't help relaxing at the familiar scents and sounds of home.

Dad put the coffee on for those who wanted to drink it and the kettle for tea while Mom went upstairs to see if Penny was feeling better. A few minutes later, she returned to the kitchen with a slightly pale Penny in tow.

"Hey, Pen," I called. "Are you feeling better?"

She nodded and climbed onto my lap. Even at nine she was still small for her age and curled up in my arms. Mom busied about the kitchen, making hot chocolate for Penny, tea for her and Hannah, and pouring coffee for Dad.

He pulled a charcuterie board and a tray of veggies and dips from the refrigerator, which of course, brought everyone into the kitchen as he placed it in the center of the island along with a loaf of bread.

"Who's coming for dinner tonight, Mom?" I asked.

"Hmm, well, all of us, of course, and we've invited Nana and Pops, and Nana and Gramps, too. That makes thirteen, so can you and your dad get the extending center leaf for the table from the garage later, please?"

"Sure thing, Mom," I answered.

Gabe and Oliver got bored with the adults talking and went to play video games. Luke curled up in the corner of the sofa with his book, and Harley returned to her room, to whatever she was interested in at the moment.

"What are you two doing this next week?" Mom asked.

"We thought we'd finish up our Christmas shopping," I said. "Then, we're probably going to catch up with our friends at some point, although we haven't decided on when or where. I thought I could take the twins and Harley into town to do their gift shopping, too, if they'd like."

"They'd love that, Connor. They've missed you, too, I think."

"I should go see my mom, too," Hannah added. "And I have some gift shopping of my own to do."

"You and I could go together if you'd like," Mom suggested.

"I'd love that, Bella. I need to get a few things, and I don't need a nosy boyfriend looking over my shoulder."

"How about you and I go into town next weekend, Connor?" Dad suggested. "I have a few things to get." He winked at Mom. "Secret things."

She giggled like a schoolgirl at him, and I rolled my eyes. Secretly, I loved the way they were with each other, and I hoped Hannah and I were as in love as Mom and Dad were when we reached their age.

I looked over at Hannah and reached out to her. She placed her hand in mine, squeezing it and grinning back at me, knowing exactly what I was thinking.

"I love you," I mouthed.

"You, too," she mouthed back.

"Aw, you two are so sweet," Mom said.

Hannah turned to her. "I want to thank you for asking me to stay, Bella. Now Mom has moved in with her boyfriend, I really don't want to live in the same place as the two of them."

"No problem, Hannah, you know we love having you here. Come upstairs and see what we've done to the guest room for you."

"Well, it's still really great of you to invite me, or I might have had to stay at school."

"We definitely couldn't have that, sweetheart."

Mom brushed Hannah's hair away from her face, smiled, then led the way upstairs, and we followed. While we'd been away, the guest room that Hannah usually stayed in had been redecorated in some sort of pale purple and white. There was also new bedding and window dressings, a new desk, and even a new chest of drawers. Hannah's hand flew to her mouth and tears welled in her eyes.

Mom immediately pulled my girl into her arms. "Hey, no tears, sweetheart," she said. "You're welcome to stay here for as long as you need, and that means every vacation. Okay? I also went to see your mom and had the rest of your stuff brought here for you."

"It's so beautiful, thank you, Bella. I don't know what to say." Hannah sniffed and brushed her fingers under her eyes.

Pulling her into my arms, I hugged her. "You know what this means," I said. She shook her head. "You get to do chores."

My whispered words had the desired effect, and she laughed, digging her fingers into my side.

"Come on, it's almost time for dinner," Mom said. "Hannah, you can set the table for your first family chore, and you, Connor, can help your dad with the table extender."

We headed back downstairs to a dinner full of laughter and love with our family.

~ oOo ~

The next week was a flurry of seeing friends, Christmas shopping with Hannah and the twins, helping them to get gifts for everyone. We spent an afternoon with Grandpa Billy and his new lady friend, Sue Clearwater, whose husband had died early last year.

I told him that I'd called Jake a few times since he'd come to visit in April, and Jake had said he wouldn't be visiting for Christmas, but would be in touch after the New Year.

The following Saturday, Dad and I headed downtown, leaving behind a complaining Harley, who wanted to come with us. It was as much a day out for the two of us as a shopping trip, and I relished the one-on-one, deciding on an early lunch before we got down to the serious task of finding the perfect gifts.

"So," Dad began, "I haven't seen much of you this week."

"Yeah, I know," I replied. "It's been a busy one."

"Have you spoken to Jake?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, I called him just after Thanksgiving. First time was off and awkward, but after that we talked about baseball mostly. He did ask about Harley and the twins—but he didn't seem bothered when I didn't want to talk much about them. They're my family, not his, and I felt really protective of them."

"That's good, Connor. It's how it should be."

"We didn't stay on the phone long, but it's a start. I've been really busy. I thought school took up a lot of time, but college classes and baseball are something else." I laughed.

"Tell me about it." Dad grinned. "I don't think I saw the light of day more than once a week that first semester. I know you don't have to decide yet, but have you had any more thoughts on what you want to do?"

"Well, you know my dream is to play pro-baseball and get drafted into the majors. If that doesn't happen, I'm planning on going to medical school, so I'll major in one of the sciences."

"Being a doctor is a good career, but it's hard work," Dad said, finishing his coffee. "It's a vocation, and not for everyone. You have to make a lot of sacrifices."

"I know, but I can go to medical school later if I'm lucky enough to get the chance to play ball. I could even use it to go into some sort of sports medicine, which I think I'd like."

"Plays havoc with your social life, too," Dad replied. "I met your mom just as I finished my residency, but my previous relationship ended because I couldn't give it the time it deserved. If you go that route, make sure you and Hannah get quality time together."

"I will, thanks, Dad. I'm going to keep up my art studies, too. I'm really enjoying those classes, and as Hannah's taking some of the same ones, we get to spend a little more time together. She's taking photography as well because she wants to work in that field. Maybe journalism of some kind. She's not sure yet, though."

"You sound as if you've got some great plans, bud," Dad said as he stood. "Come on, let's get the ladies some special gifts."

After paying, Dad and I made our way through the market, picking up some minor gifts for the grandparents and friends, although I was pretty sure Mom had most of that under control. Dad laughed when I suggested that, nodding his head to say it was likely true.

I'd been saving every penny I could over the summer and the last couple of months, knowing I wanted something special for my girl. Later in the afternoon, we found ourselves standing outside the window of a small jewelry store.

Dad had already picked out a couple of things for Mom, as I had for Hannah, but I spied a necklace in the window that called out to me. The tray next to it held a mix of promise and engagement rings, and of course, my mind flitted to my future plans.

"When did you know, Dad?"

He seemed to know what I was thinking about, answering immediately. "Your mom knocked me on my ass the first time we met. I couldn't take my eyes off her. In retrospect, I fell in love with her that same night, then the following day when we spent it together at Laguna Beach, my heart knew."

"What if you'd met when you were my age? Would you still have fallen in love with Mom?"

"Yes, definitely. I'm sure that no matter when we met, I would've loved her." He hesitated for a second or two. "But, there were a few complications, and it did take us a while until we realized we were on the same page. Since then, there hasn't been a day when my first and last thoughts haven't been of her. Is that how you feel about Hannah?"

I nodded. "I knew it when we met, too."

"It's a little early for an engagement ring, isn't it?" He indicated the tray in the window.

"Yeah, we're only eighteen; there's plenty of time for that. Maybe next year?" I laughed. "We want to live together before we take the next big step, so we're sort of planning to get an apartment off-campus instead of staying in dorms."

"You can come to me or your mom at any time if you need help or advice about anything."

"I know that, Dad, and thank you."

"Shall we go in," he said after a moment.

"Yeah, I've got my eye on that necklace there." I pointed out the infinity one.

An hour later, after looking at half a dozen, I bought the first one that had caught my eye. An infinity symbol with a line of diamonds along the curve, passing through a heart. It said everything I felt about Hannah.

She had my heart for always.

Dad grinned at me, shaking his head. "You know you said that out loud. You've got it bad, son."

"Like father, like son." I grinned back, pointing at the bracelet Dad had chosen for Mom.

"What can I say? Your mom is worth it."

Having gotten what we came for, we made our way back to the car, and headed in the direction of home.

~ oOo ~

I fell back into living at home easily, feeling as if I'd never been away. With Hannah staying at my house permanently, it felt right, though it was an exercise in restraint to break off making out before we went too far, and not to slip into her room at night. It would've been disrespectful to my parents.

Before I knew it, the second week of our vacation passed in a flash and it was Christmas Eve. After a potluck meal in the evening, we sat around drinking hot chocolate and watching Christmas movies, the huge tree that had been up for almost a month standing in the window covered in tinsel, lights, and ornaments we'd collected.

Christmas Day dawned gray and wet, but the house was lit up with lights and warmth. The twins, of course, were up at the crack of dawn, which meant the rest of us didn't get to lie in bed.

Mom and Hannah had put a tray of cinnamon buns in the oven, and made hot chocolate, coffee and tea for anyone who wanted it, before we all gathered in the living room.

Within thirty minutes, the floor was covered in wrapping paper ripped from gifts to the twins, as they oohed and aahed over the presents they'd received—books, baseball glove, skateboard, science kit, coloring books, pencils and paints were just a few of the things piled up around the room, ready to be taken up to bedrooms.

Harley was a little more careful and had folded her wrapping paper to reuse in her arts and crafts, but was equally happy with the gifts she'd received, a huge amount of enthusiasm for the camera Mom and Dad had bought her.

Finally, when calm had returned to the room and the twins and Harley had disappeared to their bedrooms for a bit, it was the adults' turn to open gifts. I watched Hannah as she carefully opened my gift, her gasp of pleasure warming my heart.

"Oh, Connor, it's so beautiful. Thank you. Can you help me put it on, please?"

She turned her back to me, lifting her hair so I could fasten it. I kissed the back of her neck before she dropped it back down, then turned to face me.

"How does it look?" she asked, her eyes shining with emotion.

"Beautiful," I said, meaning both her and the necklace. My eyes flicked over at Mom and Dad, who were watching us. "You know what it means, don't you?"

She nodded. "It's the same for me, Connor," she answered.

In return, she'd bought me a heavy duty, braided leather bracelet with Cullen engraved on the oval centerpiece. She knew how proud I was to have the Cullen name, so it was a perfect gift.

The tennis bracelet Dad had gotten for Mom elicited a squeal from her, reminiscent of one you might hear from Penny.

"Oh, my God, Edward. Thank you. It's absolutely gorgeous."

She slipped it around her wrist, holding her arm out for Dad to fasten it. He leaned down to kiss the inside of her wrist after he did, then handed her an envelope.

"What's this?"

"Open it and see." He grinned at her as she ripped into it.

"Fuck!"

All three of us laughed out loud as it wasn't often she cursed.

She bit her lip and looked over at Hannah and me, then at Dad, narrowing her eyes for a second before she threw herself at him, kissing all over his face.

"What did you get her, Dad?" I asked.

"A week in Cancun for the two of us, all inclusive. It's booked for the week of Valentine's Day."

"Oh, wow! That sounds awesome," Hannah said. "I'd love to go somewhere hot and exotic."

Nana and Pops arrived a little later while we were all in the kitchen eating our usual Christmas brunch. Pancakes with butter and maple syrup, blueberries or chocolate chips, or french toast, cranberry scones, fruit salad, banana bread, and bagels or fresh bread with cream cheese. There was coffee, tea, and hot chocolate, or smoothies to drink.

"Where's Grandpa Billy?" I asked, leaning back in my seat.

Pops winked. "He's spending Christmas with his new girlfriend."

Nana pushed him. "Stop it, Charlie," she said. "The man is entitled to have some fun, whatever his age. He and Sue suit each other."

"What about Jake?"

Pops shrugged. "Billy says he's spending the holidays with a friend."

Nan and Gramps arrived early in the afternoon, followed by Aunt Rose and Uncle Emmett with Sammie and Amelia. Aunt Rose, Mom, Hannah, Nan, and Nana spent the next few hours in the kitchen preparing dinner, drinking wine—non-alcoholic for Hannah—and laughing. Me, Dad, Uncle Emmett, Pops, and Gramps played Guitar Hero, Mario Kart, and Super Mario with the kids, while Harley flitted between the two groups, unable to decide if she was an adult or a kid.

We'd invited Carmen and Eleazar for dinner, but they were spending the Christmas weekend and a few days after with their son and daughter-in-law and grandchildren, so it was sixteen for the Christmas meal, which proved to be a lively, loud affair.

~ oOo ~

Over the course of the last few months, I had tried to speak to Jake, but had only been successful half of the time, and it made me wonder how serious he'd been about wanting to talk to me. I didn't dwell on it since there was a lot going on in my life, and I figured if he really wanted to speak to me, he'd find the time.

With our annual New Year's Eve celebration done, the following day was a quiet Sunday, or as quiet as it could be with nine individuals in the house, even one as big as ours. Hannah and I were returning to college on Tuesday with classes commencing the following day, so we were relaxing after packing our bags.

The movie playing on the television was keeping the attention of the twins, and Harley was playing around with her camera, pointing it at everyone in turn. Hannah and I were cuddled up on the loveseat, and Dad was sitting on the sofa with Mom's head in his lap.

The doorbell rang, and I got up to answer it, finding Grandpa Billy on the doorstep.

"Hey, Grandpa. We weren't expecting you today. Let me help you inside," I said as I stepped outside and helped him up the two steps to the front door, and inside.

"Afternoon, Connor," he answered as he followed me farther into the house.

"Hi, kids," he called out, receiving various answers from them all. "Can I speak with you, and your mom and dad, in private?"

I nodded, Mom and Dad following me into the kitchen with Grandpa. "Do you want something to eat or drink?" I asked. "Mom, Dad?"

"Yes, please. Can I have a coffee?" Billy asked.

"Tea, please, Connor," Mom said.

"I'll have a coffee with Billy," Dad added.

I made the drinks, and we took seats around the table, sipping our drinks, waiting for Grandpa Billy to speak.

"What brings you here, Billy?" Mom broke the silence.

"I've got some very . . . sad news."

"What is it, Grandpa?" I asked.

He sighed heavily. "I didn't want to be the one to tell you, but . . . Jake died a couple of days ago."

I sat back in my chair. "He . . . he was fine a couple of weeks ago when we last spoke," I blurted out, shocked.

"Oh, my God!" Mom gasped. "What . . . what happened, Billy? Was he in an accident?"

"Er . . . no. I got a call from a hospice yesterday, and this arrived this morning." He handed me an envelope. "There was one for me, too."

"A hospice," Mom echoed. "What was he doing in a hospice?"

While they talked, I opened the envelope, shocked and numb. Jake and I hadn't gotten much closer, but it was still distressing to find out he was gone. I pulled out the single sheet of paper and slowly unfolded it.

Dear Connor,

This letter is full of apologies, I'm afraid, the biggest of which is an apology for not telling you the truth about my condition when we met earlier this year. I'm grateful for your calls over the last six months, and I know I had opportunities to tell you, but I didn't want to make things awkward between us.

If it makes you feel better, I didn't tell anyone else either until Embry fell back into my life. Truth is, he refused to leave, for which I'm very grateful, and he's been with me every day for the last two months. I'm glad I got a second chance with him, even if it was only for a short time.

I have, or had, if you're reading this, chronic liver disease. Of course, it was all my own fault, drinking and drugs finally taking their toll and years of denial until they caught up with me. By the time I visited you, there was nothing that could be done except for me to make my peace with everyone.

Before you berate yourself, and tell me you could have helped, you really couldn't have done anything. My condition had already progressed far past the stage where a transplant was possible. The surgeon had already confirmed what I knew in my heart: I was too ill for surgery to be a consideration.

Even if it had been, I could not have involved you; it wouldn't have been fair to have asked so much of you, especially with your dreams of playing ball professionally.

Meeting with you was the highlight of the last few years, and although I had nothing to do with the young man you've become, I am so proud of you.

Coming to see you was a two-fold exercise. Initially, it was to explain to you why I was the worst of fathers, and to apologize for the past. And although I am jealous of the place Edward has in your life as your dad, I cannot fault him for loving you so completely where I failed.

I wanted to see who you were; who you'd become without me, and in the end, what I lost by denying you was far more than I would've lost had I been a man and faced my responsibilities and accepted who I was.

I'm so happy to have met you.

Jake

I couldn't quite believe what I'd just read. Jake had been ill all this time, and hadn't breathed a word to anyone? He died alone, without any family around him? Miles from home? Despite the years separating us, and the circumstances, I felt a pang of loss.

"Connor?" Mom's hand on my shoulder brought me out of my thoughts.

Without a word, I handed her the letter for her to read, too shocked to verbalize.

Billy reached out and grabbed my hand. "Embry was with him, Connor. He wasn't alone, son."

"But I would've been there, Grandpa." I shook my head. "You know I would have," I whispered. "We were having a great time, while he was dying."

"Yes, I know, and I expect Jake knew that, too. He said you might feel that way, but he told me to tell you it was his choice, and you are not to feel guilty. Do you hear me, Connor? I'm sure he said as much in his letter. You are not to feel guilty."

Grandpa Billy finished his coffee, and he said his goodbyes, Dad following him out of the room.

"Are you okay, Connor?" Mom asked.

I took a deep breath. "Yeah, don't worry about me, Mom. I just need to . . . you know, process."

Mom nodded, stood, and rinsed out the cups, putting them in the dishwasher. She patted me on the shoulder and headed back toward the living room. Dad found me in the study, leaning back on the sofa, as I tried to process what I'd just found out.

Handing me a bottle of water, he took a seat beside me. Wordlessly, I handed him the letter from Jake. When he'd finished it, he turned to me.

"Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?"

I took a deep breath and blew it out as I thought about how I felt, and tried to order my thoughts.

"Angry, disappointed, sad," I began. "I don't know which emotion is winning. Of course, I'm sad he died, but I'm also angry at him. Even at the end of his life, he was still excluding me . . . he chose someone else over me, again, like he's always done."

"Or you could look at it another way," Dad suggested. "Maybe he knew he was dying and he wanted you to remember him the way he was the last time you saw him."

"He still should've given me the choice, Dad. He should've told me he was sick and given me the choice to be there if I'd wanted."

"Jake and I could never have been friends, especially after the way he treated your mom," Dad said. "He thought only about himself—how he felt, how everyone had wronged him. It's possible that going through the program made him realize how wrong he was, and he felt it was his punishment and he didn't feel he deserved to have you there for him after the way he behaved."

"So nothing changed," I scoffed. "He was still selfish."

Dad nodded. "Yes. I've no doubt he tried to change, but it's not as easy as it sounds. What you can take away from all of this is that he made the effort to come and see you, even though he had no idea what he might be facing. You could have hated him on sight, or refused to meet with him. Either of those actions could be justifiable given the past, but you showed him how a man behaves—how a grown-up faces his issues head-on. What's more important is that you listened to him and tried your best not to judge."

In the comfortable silence that followed, I contemplated Dad's words. I could see how hard it must have been for Jake to travel across the country to face me with no knowledge of how I'd react. It didn't make it any easier to accept that he didn't give me a choice. However, there was one I could make.

"I want to go to his funeral, Dad. Would you come with me, please? Do you think Mom would come, too?"

"Of course, I'll be there to support you, and although things ended badly for Jake and your mom, she did spend six years with him, so I think she'll want to be there to pay her respects and support both you and Grandpa Billy."

"Thanks, Dad. I can't tell you how much it means to me that you chose me. I love you."

"I love you, too, Connor, and each and every day you make me proud to be your dad."

Talking with Dad helped me to come to terms with the circumstances, and the support of my parents at the funeral meant everything to me. Despite everything, I was happy that Jake had come to see me, and I'd given him a chance to explain and apologize, though I would've liked more time. There was some closure in the fact that we'd reconnected at intervals throughout the last few months of his life, and I hoped it had given him some kind of peace and comfort.

Yes, he'd behaved badly to all of us—me, Mom, and Grandpa Billy, and sometimes apologies weren't enough to put everything right, but in the end, I believed he'd tried his best. And that was all any of us could do.

The End

AN: I couldn't have done this story justice without the help from three of the best ladies you could ever have on your team; MeteorOnAMoonlessNight who always manages to beta at the last minute when I need her to. Midnight Cougar for her insight and encouragement along with excellent beta skills. And last but not least ghostreader24 without whom this story would have ground to a halt many times.

Thank you all for your help, it means more than I can say.

I'll be eternally grateful to them and also to every single person who reviewed, favorited and followed. It's great to write for yourself but it's also the best thing to have others validate what you write. so without you writing would be so much less gratifying. For all of you who favorited and followed, I want to know what you think, too.

I have so many projects waiting in the wings that I can't yet decide which one I'm going with, and I'd love to hear what you, as readers, might want. Which type of ward? What sort of theme? I'd love to hear from you.

~ oOo ~