I was stunned into silence. I stared at him, frozen, as the word “father” echoed in my mind. For years, he had been nothing but a shadow, a figment of my distant fantasies. And now, here he was – a living, breathing person.
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “You’re lying.”
He took a step closer, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. “I didn’t know about you, Megan. I swear. I only found out recently.”
Before I could respond, another familiar figure appeared – Jeremy. He held an envelope and his expression was a mix of guilt and hope. “Megan, I know this is a lot,” he said gently. “But it’s true. I’ve been looking for him. For two years.”
My heart was pounding. “You…you’ve been looking for him? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Jeremy let out a sigh. “Because I knew how much it haunted you – especially during Christmas. I thought…maybe if I found him, it could bring you some closure. Or a new beginning.”
He handed me the envelope, and inside was a DNA test confirming the man’s claim. My mind was reeling as Jeremy explained how he had tracked down my mother’s sister, pieced together fragments of the past, and finally found my father.
Turning back to the man, I asked, “You had no idea I existed?”
His voice cracked. “No. Your mother never told me. If I had known, I would’ve looked for you. I would’ve been there.”
Anger and longing warred within me. “You weren’t there. I grew up alone.”
“I know,” he said, his voice heavy with regret. “And I’ll carry that guilt forever. But if you’ll let me…I want to be here now.”
Jeremy’s hand found mine, grounding me. Slowly, I looked into the man’s eyes – eyes that mirrored my own. “I don’t know if I can call you Dad,” I said, my voice trembling. “But maybe…I’d like to get to know you.”
A tear fell down his cheek as he nodded. “That’s all I could hope for.”
As we stood there in the dimly lit room, the faint sound of Christmas carols drifted in from outside, filling the silence. And for the first time, Christmas felt like more than just a painful reminder of my past. It felt like the start of something new – a connection I never thought I’d have, and the possibility of a family where there was once only emptiness.