Chapter 18: The Meeting
"Okay, good to meet you!" Charlie greeted with a forced smile on his face as he pushed Alan forward.
"Charlie!" Alan snapped.
"It's okay, Alan," I said neutrally. "If he doesn't want to know, I don't need to either," I added, void of any emotion.
The days when I craved to know my biological parents were long gone - and in this life, even less so
Charlie stopped after hearing that and looked at me with a conflicted expression
"Wow, he looks so much like you, Jake," Haley commented while her gaze shifting between me and Charlie.
Jay and Gloria also stepped closer, Jay resting a firm hand on my shoulder. I could see he was frowning.
The moment grew awkward.
A small boy from the other team approached, and upon seeing me, made an observation similar to Haley's.
"Woow, he looks like a younger version of you, Uncle Charlie," the boy remarked, staring at me.
"Ohh, he is my son, Jake," Alan placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "It seems we both have Jakes, Charlie," he tried to joke to break the tension, but only made everyone glare at him.
Alan's forced smile turned into an awkward one.
"Guys, we've already made enough of a scene," I said, looking at everyone. "Let's just watch the game, and afterward we can talk - if that's what everyone wants." I finished, heading to sit on the other side of the bleachers.
Haley quickly followed, linking her arm with mine.
Gloria came along too, pulling Jay with her, who kept glaring at Charlie.
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Haley pulled my head to rest on her shoulder, gently running her hand comfortingly through my hair.
"You're too short, Little Comet, you'll give me a stiff neck," I joked, already trying to adjust my body.
"Shut up, you idiot," she scolded, though there was no trace of annoyance in her voice.
"Thanks, cousin."
"You're welcome. At least you discovered you won't lose your charm when you get older," Haley teased lightly, appreciating Charlie's seasoned charmer style.
"I could say the same about you. Claire is incredibly beautiful and elegant," I added. My cousin (who I basically treat and call like an aunt), certainly had her charm.
"Eh," Haley let out an indignant sound. "Eww, Jake, don't dream about my mother!" she exclaimed in disgust.
"I don't," I denied. "I'm not like my father - I don't really go for much older. Besides, Phil's a bro, and I don't think about a bro's wife," I joked.
"First, you need to stop hanging around with my dad, you'll catch his lameness," Haley cautioned. "And second, is he really your father?" she asked, eyes fixed on me, her voice nearly a whisper
"I didn't say Charlie is my dad. But I do know the real reason my mother moved to Delaware and cut ties with the family - it was because she was 44 and my father was 20 when she got pregnant," I revealed.
She was ashamed of having had a child with someone so much younger and couldn't bear everyone's judgment. So she decided to move to the other side of the country and raise the child alone.
"And about the first point," I lifted Haley's chin gently with a finger. "Do you think these can turn into lameness?" I teased with a smirk, making her a little shy.
"Don't you think we already have enough family drama without you two adding incest?" Jay commented sarcastically, leaning his face closer to us.
"It's not, Jay. There are no American laws prohibiting relationships between second cousins, and the Catholic Church stopped forbidding them back in 1215, at the Fourth Lateran Council," I corrected him.
"You're starting to sound like Alex," Haley murmured.
I ignored her and concluded, "Besides, we both have partners - I'm not a cheater"
"At last you have some principles," Jay snorted grumpily.
Gloria also ran her hand through my hair. "You know we'll always be by your side, mi niño," she said affectionately
"Thanks Gloria"
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After finishing the game, Manny came over, excited that his team had finally won for once.
"Nice one, Kiddo!" I praised Manny, but soon noticed Charlie approaching as well, with Alan and his nephew right behind him.
"Look, Jake," he began a bit awkwardly but with a certain seriousness, "I want to know if you really are..." He paused for a moment before finally saying, "my son."
"I want to be part of your life," he corrected himself quickly, "if you want me to, of course."
I just nodded.
"We need to go home now, for several reasons. Give me your address, and we'll show up this afternoon. By then, we'll have had some rest too." I looked at Charlie. At least I will rest - I doubted he will.
He also nodded and gave Alan a light nudge, who looked at him without understanding anything.
Charlie gave him a stronger jab.
"What, Charlie?" Alan looked at his brother, still confused.
"Give me a pen and paper so I can write down the address," he muttered through the corner of his mouth, slightly irritated.
"We're at a soccer game, Charlie. I don't have a pencil or paper with me," Alan replied strangely.
But then he remembered, "Oh, I have one in the car." He turned to me. "If you can wait just a minute."
"There's no need - just tell me the address, I'll remember it," I said. "And Haley here can write it down on her phone."
After Charlie gave me the address, we said we were leaving. He extended his hand a bit awkwardly, and I shook it.
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