Maddie bent to kiss Simon’s cheek on her way past, then poked a finger into Adam’s chest. “Do not hurt them,” she murmured just loudly enough for Joanna to overhear, though Simon probably hadn’t caught the words.
“I’m doing my best, Maddie,” he said in return.
Joanna’s hands were unsteady when she closed the door behind her sister. She didn’t even try to smile when she turned back to Adam. The look on his face—apology? defensiveness? regret?—made her knees go weak, so that she leaned back against the door. “What’s going on?”
Simon rushed forward, skidding to a stop in front of her. “It’s my fault, Mom. I made him tell me. Mr. Ad—I mean, um—he said we should wait for you, but I wanted to know. And he told me.”
Her heart froze in her chest as she looked from Simon to Adam and back again. “He told you...what, exactly, Simon?”
His mouth curved into a smile he couldn’t seem to hold back, despite the gravity of the exchange. “He told me he’s my dad.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
GRATEFUL FOR THE door against her back, Joanna stared in shock and disbelief at Adam. After all his dithering, all their convoluted discussions and attempted negotiations, all her warnings that she wanted to protect her son, he had simply told Simon everything? Without her even being there?
She directed her barely-above-a-whisper question to Simon. “He told you that?”
“I keep saying the kid’s a genius.” Adam’s murmur was rueful, but still carried a hint of what might have been pride. “He figured it out. He came to me to ask. I was honest with him, Joanna. What els
e could I have done?”
As dismayed and unprepared as Joanna felt, she could only imagine the emotions Adam must have felt when Simon had shown up out of the blue and demanded the truth from him. And while she wished that the life-changing conversation had happened differently, that she’d had more involvement, more control over the details, she could hardly fault Adam for not lying, could she? Though she’d been willing to prevaricate to protect Simon, she had never intended to lie outright.
Too dazed for an immediate response, Joanna moved stiffly to a chair, sank into it and took her son’s hands. She focused on his face, trying to decipher his thoughts. His emotions. He gazed artlessly back at her. As far as she could tell, he didn’t look traumatized, but this had to be a big adjustment for him. Her own world had just tilted on its axis.
She really hadn’t been ready for this, despite the preparation she’d thought she made during the past week. “I know this is a lot of information for you to process. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
“That’s okay, Mom.” He smiled reassuringly at her, almost as if she was the one in need of moral support. “Mr.—uh, he explained it to me. How you thought we should get to know each other first. I understand.”
“You do?” She shook her head slowly. How had her child gone from five to fifteen all of a sudden?
It hadn’t escaped her notice that Simon couldn’t seem to figure out what to call Adam now.
“Sure,” he said with a giggle that was all little boy again. “It would be weird if we didn’t know each other, wouldn’t it?”
She stroked his arm, her eyes prickling with tears as love flooded through her. All she wanted was to do the right thing for her son, to make sure he was happy and safe, secure in the knowledge that he was loved. “Yes, sweetie. I guess it would be weird.”
He rubbed his tummy. “Can we have dinner now? I’m really hungry.”
And that was that? Utterly baffled, she looked at Adam, who’d listened intently, looking almost as perplexed as she felt. “Um, yes, of course. Go wash your face and hands and we’ll eat.”
“Okay.” Simon started to dash toward his room, then paused to eye Adam. “You’re eating with us, right? You haven’t changed your mind?”
“I, uh—”
Maybe Adam was tempted to beg off, get a chance to regain his equilibrium—and Joanna could hardly blame him for that—but predictably, he caved when Simon gazed up at him. They were all going to have to watch that in the future. “I haven’t changed my mind.”
“Don’t forget to tell Aunt Maddie we’re ready to go,” Simon called over his shoulder as he ran out of the room.
“Oh, my God.” Joanna stood and raised her hands to her temples, trying to press away the dull headache that had settled there.
“Just so you know—” Adam took a step toward her and lowered his voice with a cautious look in the direction of Simon’s room “—the kid kind of scares me.”
Still struggling with her own emotions, she couldn’t smile at what she assumed was an attempt at humor. “I can’t believe he did that. I know it looks bad that he got away from me twice this week, but I swear I was only on the balcony and the door was open between us. I’d looked away for a few minutes. I guess I was too distracted, maybe too wrapped up in worrying about the future, but I...”
Adam was equally serious now. “Joanna. I’m not blaming you. He’d have probably gotten away from me the same way. Who could have predicted he’d suddenly turn into an escape artist this week when apparently he’s never done this before?”
“No, never,” she whispered, relieved that he understood. “Obviously I’ll watch him like a hawk from now on, at least until I’m certain he knows this is unacceptable behavior.”