“Sir, can I give you some advice?”
he asked.
“Sure,”
Nathan said.
“Whatever family drama is going on here, whatever issues you have with your mother, work them out. Because using the police to settle family arguments is a waste of everyone’s time.”
“You’re right,”
Nathan said.
“I’m sorry you were brought into this.”
The officers left. Nathan closed the door behind them and leaned against it, his legs suddenly feeling weak.
“They’re gone,”
he called up to Evelyn. Evelyn let out a sob of relief. She sank down on the stairs, still holding Lucas.
“It’s okay, baby,”
she whispered to Lucas, even though she was crying.
“Everything’s okay now.”
But Lucas pulled away from her. He looked at Nathan with those green eyes, eyes that were suddenly hard and angry.
“You lied,”
Lucas said. Nathan’s heart sank.
“What?”
“You lied to the police,”
Lucas said, his voice shaking.
“My mom didn’t call you 7 years ago. I was there. We didn’t know you. We broke into this house because we had nowhere else to go.”
“Lucas.”
Evelyn started.
“No!”
Lucas said, tears streaming down his face now.
“You always tell me lying is wrong! You always say we should tell the truth! But you just lied! Both of you lied!”
Nathan knelt down.
“You’re right, Lucas. We did lie. And I’m sorry you had to see that.”
“Then why did you do it?”
Lucas demanded.
“Because sometimes,”
Nathan said carefully,
“grown-ups have to make hard choices. The police would have arrested your mom if we told them the truth. They would have taken you away from her, and I couldn’t let that happen.”
“Why not?”
Lucas asked.
“Why do you care? We don’t even know you.”
The question hit Nathan like a punch to the gut. Because you’re my son, Nathan wanted to say. Because I love you even though I just met you. Because I’ve missed 8 years of your life and I’m not going to miss anymore. But he couldn’t say any of that. Not yet.
“Because your mom is important to me,”
Nathan said instead.
“And that makes you important to me too.”
Lucas wiped his eyes with his sleeve.
“Are the police going to come back?”
“I don’t know,”
Nathan said honestly.
“Maybe.”
“What happens if they do?”
Lucas asked, fear in his voice.
“What happens if they find out we lied?”
“Then I’ll handle it,”
Nathan said.
“I promise you, Lucas, I won’t let anyone take you away from your mom, no matter what.”
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