week before she’d let them pet her.
“Yeah, thirteen pounds. Though it’s all fluff, right, pretty girl?” He gently stroked her head and ears and was rewarded with loud purring. He ran his hand over her a few times, then moved over to the bed a few feet away and sat on the edge. “She should be ready to be listed for adoption very soon. Hopefully, she finds a good home quickly.”
His dad sat next to him, lowering himself slowly, eyes still on Vivian. “You aren’t tempted to keep her?”
The burst of laughter that came out of him startled Viv. Glaring, she stood and stretched her back in a high arch, then jumped down to the floor with a thud and made her way over to her water and food dishes. “Totally. But I’m always tempted. If I kept every animal I fostered though, I’d end up on that show about animal hoarders.”
His dad finally looked over at him, his blue eyes a softer color than Lukas’s own, but his strong chin and cheekbones a dead ringer. “I never… I guess I didn’t realize just how much you loved animals.”
He shrugged and ran a hand through his hair, ending at the back of his neck and gripping lightly. “I always have, Dad. I remember begging for a dog my whole childhood.”
“Sure. But I just thought that was normal kid stuff. You used to beg to come to construction sites with me too. And you seemed to love when I explained things to you as we walked through the buildings. Then almost overnight… you wanted nothing to do with Brown and Son.”
Lukas nodded, smiling softly. “I never cared about the things you were doing. I just… I loved being with you. You were my hero, and I just wanted to spend time with you. When I got older though, I wanted to do things I enjoyed. Things I tried to share with you…”
“And I wouldn’t listen.” His dad sighed and scrubbed at his face. They sat in silence for a few moments, long enough for Vivian to forgive him for bothering her. She hopped up onto the bed and headbutted his elbow until he lifted his arm and pet her.
“I’m sorry I can’t be the son in Brown and Son,” he finally said, not taking his eyes off where he was sinking his fingers into Vivian’s long fur.
His dad made a noise, then gripped his shoulder, drawing his gaze up. “No, I’m sorry. I should have just listened to you. Brown and Son is just a name; you’re my actual son, and I couldn’t see how amazing you are. This cat adores you even though you came into her life when she was terrified and hurting. That… That fucking says something about you, Lukas. You’re a good man. I’m sorry I haven’t been a good dad lately.”
Lukas wiped at his wet eyes and leaned over Vivian to wrap his arms around him, hugging his dad tighter than he had in years. “Thank you.”
“I love you,” his dad said gruffly, his own grip just as strong on Lukas. Vivian made a sort of meeping noise and squirmed out from between them.
“I love you too.”
Eventually, his dad loosened his hold and patted Lukas’s back before leaning away from him and smiling. “We should get back downstairs so your mom can make her toast.”
Lukas nodded as he chuckled and scrubbed at his face, trying to remove the traces of tears so John wouldn’t freak out. “She’ll probably need a refill by now.”
They both laughed as they stood and moved toward the door. Before opening it, his dad gave one last look at where Vivian was curled up against the pillows. “Do you think you could send me information on adopting through the Humane Society?”
Lukas’s breath caught, but he managed to murmur, “Definitely.”
Once they were back downstairs, his dad apologized to his mom with a smile and kiss to the cheek before refilling her half-empty glass. Lukas walked right up to John and wrapped himself around him.
“You okay?” John asked quietly, rubbing a hand up and down Lukas’s spine.
“More than. I’ll tell you later, okay?”
John pressed a kiss into his hair. A glass of wine was offered to him, and he met Kevin’s smiling face. He glanced at the clear liquid in Kevin’s own glass and raised his eyebrows to ask if he was doing okay, getting a nod in return.
“Okay, now that we have everyone together,” his mom started, shooting a mock-glare at his dad,