When he thought about her and tried to picture her during the day and what she might be doing, he often drew a blank. He had no idea what she did for a living, if she went into an office, what she liked to do in her free time (except play with Emma), or anything else. The things he knew about her were from the time they had spent together. He figured she knew more about him than he knew about her. She’d asked him a hundred questions over the last weeks. Every time the conversation turned to her, she evaded answering anything personal. He barely knew more than a few facts. Her parents died in a car crash, her grandparents raised her, and to fulfill a promise to her grandmother, she’d sailed the world for a year.
He wished he knew everything about her. He wished they had no secrets.
He would have to settle for learning all of Shelly’s secrets, even if he didn’t really care what they were.
“Marti wouldn’t tell my secrets. I’ve told her a great many over the last week. It’s just, I want to give something to your dad and I haven’t told Marti about it yet.”
George took a sip of water. Tired, the shaking in his leg had become pronounced over the last day and a half. His legs had failed him. Soon the rest of his body would as well. The doctor had been feeding him medication like it was candy. He feared his days had turned to hours. He needed to settle things with Cameron.
“George, what do you want to give me? Something for the wedding, or the baby?”
Cameron didn’t like the way George looked tonight. His skin turned a sickly grey. He shook and trembled uncontrollably. His speech was slow and slurred. He understood him fine, but it wasn’t the same baritone voice he’d always heard.
“You know I think of Emma as my very own granddaughter and you as my son. I’ve raised you from afar. Your mother was a wonderful woman, and she would have been proud to see you grow to such a fine man and the president of a company like Merrick International. She’d have been proud of her granddaughter.”
“I regret she died the year before Emma was born. I would have liked her to see her grandchildren. She’d have been a devoted and loving grandmother.”
“Indeed she would have. This thing I want to give you is just a thing really, but in order to give it to you I require a promise in return. Well, a few actually, but you can still have the thing with just the one promise. You’re an honorable man, and if you give me your word, I’ll accept it and die knowing you’ll keep it.”
“Whatever the promise, it’s yours. You know I’d do anything for you, George. Without your generosity and mentoring all these years, I wouldn’t be half the man I am today. You’re the father I always wanted.”
George took that into his heart, let it heal old wounds. “Sometimes that’s all a person needs when they don’t have the parent they want, even if it is just for a short while.” He looked at Emma and back to Cameron. “I wish we could have many more years together, and I would see your children come into this world and grow up to be like Emma. A beautiful, smart, funny, and kind girl,” he said to Emma.
“Cameron, the promise I ask is this. The thing I’m going to give you will only be half yours. The other half will be given to someone else and you will own it together.
“The promise I request, you must never sell your half, not even to the person who owns the other half. You will own it together for the rest of your lives. Upon your death, your half will go to Emma, as she is your firstborn child. The other person will leave their half to their firstborn child. This will become the legacy I want to leave.”
“Okay, I agree. I promise you George, I’ll never sell it even to them. Have they agreed to this promise as well?”
“Not yet. I haven’t told them. If they don’t, I will leave the entire thing to you, and then Emma, and then her first child, etcetera.”
He smiled at Emma. “Agreed, Princess?”
“Yes, Knight. I will leave it to my child.”
“That’s my princess.”
“What is it, George, I’m dying to know.” Shelly found the whole promise and gift to be