A Father's Name(19)

He was quiet a moment as he pulled himself together then said, “It seems so unfair to ask more of you, but Tyler, we can’t take Jace. Marge is finally getting back on her feet after the first hip replacement and they’re starting to talk about the second surgery. I know she thinks we can, but we can’t. My son had been working to clear your name, and he wrote a new will to ensure that if he hadn’t managed to pay you back the money you were fined, his estate would. While he was drawing up all those legal papers, he wrote a new will and named you the baby’s guardian.”

Tyler had thought Mr. Matthews had asked him in to talk about the funeral tomorrow, or maybe packing up Jason’s house and selling it, but not this. Not taking Jace permanently. “I can’t take Jace, Mr. Matthews.”

“I don’t have any right to ask you. You’ve already done so much for our family. But we can’t handle him. We were almost forty when we had Jason. We’d long since given up trying to have kids. Then he came along, a gift. We were old to be raising a child, but we were thrilled. And though he was an only child, he brought you home and we had two sons. I love Jace, so does Marge, but we’re too old to be the parents that he needs. I know Jason had no right to expect you to raise his son, that we have no right to ask you, but we can’t do it and there’s no one else in the world that we’d trust with our grandson.”

“I never planned on having kids. You know how I grew up. They say that kind of thing is cyclical. I don’t want to perpetuate—”

“Tyler, I know what your father was like, but I also know that you are not your father. I know that from the first time you came into our house, you came into our hearts, and though you’re not our son by blood, we’ve never thought of you as anything but. So, you tell me you can’t raise a baby, I’ll accept it, but if you tell me the only thing standing between you and parenthood is your father, I won’t.”

“But you know—”

“I know that my grandson couldn’t ask for a better man to take care of him. That’s what I know. I know that my son couldn’t have chosen a better man to call friend and brother. That’s what I know. And I know that my wife and I are lucky to have you in our lives. We lost Jason, but you are still here. We still have a son. That is what I know. And lastly, I know that no matter how much Marge and I love Jace, we are not the parents he needs. We’re old and she’s been sick. I have no right to ask you, to expect you to throw your life into upheaval again for us, but I’m asking. Will you take Jace?”

“I will.” Tyler said the words before he could think. He’d loved Jace since the moment he was born. He’d wanted to play surrogate uncle. Though the notion of playing surrogate father had never crossed his mind. He’d never considered being a parent to anyone.

He had no role model.

But as he looked at Mr. Matthews, he realized that was a lie.

He took the older man’s hand in his. “I swear, I will work myself to the bone to provide for him. As long as I have a breath in me, he will never know anything but love.”

Mr. Matthews clasped Tyler’s hand. “I never expected anything less from you, Tyler.”



“I should let you get some sleep. I’ll pick you both up for the funeral tomorrow.”

“There’s one more thing. After the funeral, Jason’s attorney is going to read his will. You’ll find that you were named in it. With his insurance money, and the money from the house when we sell it, we can start to pay what we owe you.”

“That money will be put away for Jace.”

“There will be some left for that. But you will take the money and use it to restart your life. It’s what my son wanted. He started the process, and I guarantee that I’ll see it through. Let him have that comfort in death. He can’t give you back everything you sacrificed for him and Mellie, but he can do this.”

“Mr. Matthews…” Tyler didn’t know what to say. He didn’t have a clue. None of this was what he expected. None of this was what he wanted.

After losing Mellie, Jason should have suffered enough. Now he was gone. And the life Tyler thought he’d have was gone as well.

He was going to raise Jace.

Images of his father played in his head, like some never-ending slide show. The words he’d hurled like fists when he wasn’t using his actual fists. All of it.

What if Mr. Matthews was wrong? What if Tyler was doomed to repeat his father’s mistakes?