“Kind? I kicked her out of her own home. What’s kind about that?”
“You are kind,” Leo said seriously. “Mom explained that you just loved her so much you were afraid she’d get hurt. She didn’t blame you. She understood you were worried about her, that you wanted to protect her from making a mistake.”
The boy remembered his mother’s words on sad evenings: that family is forever, that loved ones can fight, drift apart, even go years without speaking, but the love is always there. And that someday, everything would be okay again.
Mike wept as he listened. It meant Ellie had truly forgiven him. It meant she hadn’t held a grudge against her stubborn older brother.
“She really forgave me?” he whispered through his tears. “After all my foolishness, after all the cruel things I said?”
“Always,” Leo answered with certainty. “Mom said that someday we would meet. She believed it. And now we have. And now we have a family again.”
“Yes,” Mike nodded, feeling the heavy weight of guilt finally lift from his shoulders. “We’re not alone anymore.”
They could feel a true bond forming between them, not just of blood, but of spirit. Ellie had brought them together across the years, even after her death.
“Tomorrow, we’ll go to town and start the paperwork for guardianship,” Mike said decisively. “You’ll enroll in the local school. This house is your home now, too. You have every right to live here.”
Leo nodded happily, but then his face clouded over with a worried thought.
“But what about Dad? What if he really is alive and looking for me? What if Brenda lied about the certificate?”
Mike’s expression turned serious and determined.
“We’ll figure that out, too. We will find out the truth. If your father is alive, we will find him, no matter what it takes. If not, we will honor his memory. I’m not just the guy who found you anymore; I’m your uncle. And that means I will always protect you, no matter what.”
That night, they both slept soundly, feeling like a real family for the first time in a long, long time. Leo was no longer an abandoned orphan, and Mike was no longer a lonely ranger tormented by guilt. They had the memory of Ellie, who had brought them together, and that was enough to be happy.
The next morning, as Mike and Leo were having breakfast in the peaceful atmosphere of their newfound family, the old landline phone rang sharply. Mike rarely got calls this early; most people he knew were aware that the ranger was up at dawn and busy by eight.
“Hello?” he answered, glancing at the clock in surprise.
“Good morning,” an unfamiliar male voice said, filled with anxiety and desperation. “I’m sorry to bother you. My name is David Miller. I’m looking for my son. He’s 14, dark hair, medium height. The sheriff’s office said a park ranger in your area might have seen him.”
Mike’s heart began to pound. The description fit Leo perfectly. Leo, hearing his name, also grew tense and watched his uncle intently.
“I might have,” Mike said cautiously. “Can you tell me what happened?”
“He’s my son,” the man’s voice cracked with pain. “I’ve been searching for him for over a week. I’ve driven all over the county, called every hospital, filed a police report.”
Mike felt a shiver run down his spine. Could Leo’s father really be alive?
“How did he go missing?” Mike continued, probing carefully.
“I was away on business,” the voice replied wearily. “My wife said he’d run off to a friend’s house and never came back. But when I got home, I found out none of his classmates had seen him.”
Mike knew then: this was really Leo’s father, and he was alive. Brenda had lied to the boy about his father’s death.
“I think I have your son here with me,” Mike said, his voice steady. “He’s safe.”
Mike hung up the phone and turned to Leo, who was sitting on the edge of his seat, holding his breath.
“That was your father.”
“Dad’s alive?” Leo jumped up, knocking over his chair. “I knew it! I always knew he couldn’t be dead!”
Tears of joy streamed down the boy’s face. All those days of terrible doubt, all the nights he had agonized over whether his dad was really gone—it was all a lie.
“He’s been looking for you all over,” Mike explained. “He has no idea where you are. He said his wife told him you ran away to a friend’s house.”
“She lied to him!” Leo exclaimed. “She told Dad I ran away, and she told me he was dead. She wanted to separate us.”
Mike nodded, the picture becoming clearer. Brenda had some motive for tearing father and son apart.
“I arranged to meet him in town,” he said. “At the ‘Oak Tree Diner’ on Main Street. In two hours.”
Leo paced the room with excitement, unable to sit still. He was going to see his dad. Soon, everything would be explained.
The drive to town felt endless. Mike drove in silence, thinking about the upcoming meeting. What would it be like to meet his sister’s husband after 15 years of separation? What would he say? How would he explain that he’d kept Leo at his cabin without notifying his father? Leo was also quiet, but for a different reason. He was overwhelmed with emotions: joy that his dad was alive, anger at Brenda for her deceit, and nervousness about the reunion.
“What if he doesn’t believe me about my stepmom?” Leo asked anxiously. “What if he thinks I really did run away?”
“The truth always comes out,” Mike answered calmly. “Your father is a smart man. He’ll understand what happened.”
After a moment of silence, Leo asked cautiously, “Uncle Mike, will you talk to Dad? Maybe you can finally make up?”
Mike sighed.
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