“But Lucas.”
Evelyn started.
“Bring him,”
Nathan said.
“We’ll go together. I’m not leaving either of you alone right now. Not with my mother out there.”
Evelyn nodded and ran upstairs to get Lucas. As Nathan waited by the door, his phone buzzed with a text message. It was from his mother.
“The police called me. They said you’re protecting squatters. I don’t know what game you’re playing, Nathan, but it ends now. Come see me tomorrow. Alone. Or I’ll make sure that woman and her child regret the day they stepped foot in my family.”
Nathan deleted the message. His mother wanted a war. She was going to get one.
Nathan drove fast through the city streets. Evelyn sat in the passenger seat, nervous and quiet. Lucas was in the back, looking out the window with worried eyes.
“Where are we going?”
Lucas asked for the third time.
“To see my father,”
Nathan said.
“He has something important to show us.”
“Is he nice?”
Lucas asked. Nathan smiled a little.
“Yes. He’s very nice. You’ll like him.”
They pulled up to a small house in a quiet neighborhood. It wasn’t fancy like Patricia’s mansion. It was just a normal house with a small yard and a tree in front. Richard was waiting on the porch. When he saw the car pull up, he stood and waved. They all got out. Lucas held his mother’s hand tightly.
“Thank you for coming so quickly,”
Richard said. Then he looked down at Lucas.
“And you must be Lucas.”
Lucas hid a little behind his mother.
“It’s okay,”
Evelyn whispered.
“He’s a friend.”
Richard knelt down so he was at Lucas’s level.
“Hi, Lucas. I’m Richard. I’m Nathan’s dad. That makes me Well, that makes me very happy to meet you.”
Lucas studied him carefully.
“You have the same eyes as him,”
he said, pointing at Nathan. Richard laughed.
“I guess I do. Green eyes run in our family.”
“I have green eyes, too,”
Lucas said quietly. Richard’s smile got softer.
“Yes, you do. Very nice green eyes. Come inside,”
Richard said standing up.
“What I need to show you is in my office.”
They all went into the house. It was cozy and warm inside, with pictures on the walls and books on shelves. It felt like a home where people actually lived, not like Patricia’s cold, perfect mansion. Richard led them to a small office. The desk was covered with papers, folders, and old photographs.
“Lucas, there’s a TV in the living room,”
Richard said gently.
“Would you like to watch cartoons while the grown-ups talk about boring stuff?”
Lucas looked at his mother. Evelyn nodded.
“It’s okay, baby. We’ll be right here if you need us.”
Lucas left the room. They heard the TV turn on a moment later. Richard closed the office door and turned to Nathan and Evelyn. His face was serious now.
“I spent the last 2 hours going through every document I saved from my marriage to Patricia,”
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