Chapter Four

“Jake?” Leah knocked on her brother’s door and peeked inside. “Jake, can I come in?”

Jacob gave a nod of affirmation. He was lying on his bed reading a magazine.

Leah walked into the room and closed the door behind her. She walked over to the bed and sat down.

“Why’d you run out on Dad like that?”

“Why do you think, Leah?” Jake said, still reading his magazine.

Leah gently pushed the magazine out of her brother’s hands. “Because he opened up about the past? Haven’t we always wondered what Luke and Noah were like before they met?”

“Yeah. But I think I would rather have not found out.”

“Why?”

“Come on, Lee, can you honestly say you’re okay with Dad being in love with Kevin Davis?”

“He was in love with Kevin. He loves Daddy now. You know that. Besides, we can’t help who we fall in love with; it just happens. And why does it matter anyway?”

“Because if Dad could fall in love with a jerk like Kevin Davis then what does that mean about Dad?”

“Nothing! Dad is still Dad. He is still the kind, loving, caring person we know and love. And Kevin probably didn’t seem like a jerk to Dad until he came out. I mean, they were friends for years before then. If Dad had thought Kevin was a jerk he would have stopped being friends with him.”

Jacob looked at his sister, a serious expression on his face. “How aren’t you judging Dad?”

“It’s not my place to judge Dad. He’s my father and I love him unconditionally no matter what he’s done in the past. And I respect him more now than ever for his courage to tell us all he did. Do you think it was easy for him to tell us everything about when he was our age?”

“No,” Jake conceded.

“Then why don’t you come downstairs with me and apologize to Dad?”

“Apologize for what?”

“For walking out on Dad the way you did after he completely opened his heart to us!” Leah said. “Tell him you love him and that you know it took it him a lot of courage to tell us what he did and that you don’t hate him for being a stupid teenager!”

“Fine,” Jacob grunted.

“Good.” Leah smiled, took her brother’s hand, and led him downstairs to their fathers.