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Christmas dinner was uncomfortable.
No one knew where to look.
The four boys were too young to understand why every adult seemed nervous.
They were busy fighting over who got the biggest piece of roast potatoes.
Samuel asked Adrian:
“Do you have a dog?”
Adrian blinked.
“No.”
“You should get one.”
Daniel laughed.
“You don’t tell grown-ups what to do.”
Samuel shrugged.
“He asked.”
For the first time that evening, Adrian smiled.
A real smile.
And I saw it.
The boys saw it too.
Something changed.
Adrian kept looking at them.
Not staring anymore.
Studying.
Learning.
Ethan noticed.
“Why do you keep looking at us?”
The table went silent.
Adrian put down his fork.
“Because you remind me of someone.”
“Who?”
Adrian looked at me.
Then back at Ethan.
“Me.”
The boys laughed.
“No way.”
“Yeah,” Daniel said. “Mom says we’re all different.”
Adrian smiled sadly.
“You are.”
Then Samuel asked:
“Are you our dad?”
The room became completely silent.
I closed my eyes.
This was the moment I had feared.
Adrian looked at me.
I nodded.
He turned toward Samuel.
“Yes.”
