Serendipity

Chapter 6

For the last twenty minutes or so, I have been a nervous wreck as it is close to time to leave to meet Kent and his dad at the cafe. I'm wearing down a line in the carpet in the living room.

"Ethan, you are fine, and meet meeting with Kent will be fine, too," Hannah says frimly as she steps in front of me with an encouraging smile. "You will figure out how you are related to them, and it will be great."

Searching her shinning brown eyes as I take a deep breath before slowly blowing it slowly; "You're right."

"I know I am," she sasses with a flip of her long hair, and a playful wink.

Giggling I pull her into a tight hug which she returns quickly; "You are awesome, too."

"Yup," she giggles, as she pulls away as aunt Harper tells me that it's time to leave from the door in the kitchen.

We arrive at the cafe ten minutes early, and I am ready to vomit again as my nerves are on high. Entering the cafe, aunt Harper goes to speak with an employee as I look around, and I lock eyes with a young guy who looks almost identical to me.

"Aunt Harper, I found them," I say gaining her attention while my focus never breaks from the guy, who is probably a couple of years younger than me.

She turns to look where I am, and from the corner of my eye, I see her mouth drop down in shock. We walk over to the teen, and the man with him, who looks like him as they stand.

"Oh, my, gawd, up close you and I look even more alike," the teen breaths, and I know it's Kent, who is absolutly in shock.

"I agree," I reply with a grin as I introduce myself and my aunt to them. "Hi, I'm Ethan Henderson, and this is my aunt Harper Randell."

"Hey, I'm Kent Matthews, and this is my dad, Kennedy Matthews," he replies as we sit down across from each other.

"So why are your parents not here with you? No offese to you, ma'am," Kennedy says to aunt Harper and I with an curious expression.

"None taken," aunt Harper replies kindly, but let's me answer the question instead of her.

"My mum died four years ago from breast cancer, and I don't know who my dad is. My mum had me when she was young, and was going through her 'wild' phase in life," I honestly tell them.

"What made you do the Ancestry DNA test?" Kent wonders curiously after a server took our food and drink orders.

"I am curious who my dad is, and if I have any siblings from him, if I have any cousins on his side of the family, and if he wants nothing to do with me, then all I ask for is medical history," I answer nervously.

"When were you born?" Kennedy nervously asks like he has wheels turning in his head as he thinks.

"I was born 18 years ago, tomorrow," I reply looking at him to see if I can catch a sign that something clicks.

"WHat did you mum look like?" he then asks, and all three of us look at him in wonder.

"She looked like me," aunt Harper replies with a sad smile.

"Was, um, was her her name Eva by chance?" Kennedy breaths out with wide brown eyes.

My jaw drops in shock as I nod, saying; "Yes it is."

Kennedy swallows thickly as he quickly glances at Kent and aunt Harper before looking at me as he tells me things about mum that only her close family and friends, or a lover would know, so I'm positive this man is my father.

"You have two brothers, and two sisters from me," Kennedy states before continuing. "My two brothers have children - one has two boys, and one has three girls."

"I, ah, I don't know what to say, or even feel for that matter," I murmur, completly shocked. "Can I ask you a question?"

When Kennedy nods, I fearfully ask; "You didn't know about me, right?"

He shakes his head swiftly; "No, if I had, I would have spent time with you, for sure.:

We spend the next two hours talking while eating our lunch. Let's see - Kennedy just turned 34-years-old, and Kent just 16-years-old on November 22nd. Then there is Kory, who turned 14-years-old on October 31st, and then 13-year-old twins Kara and Kayc, and their birthday is September 4th. Kennedy has been with their mum Katie, for the last seventeen years, and they have been married for the last twelve years.

By the time we leave, we have made plans to meet tomorrow at the part at 11 a.m. for a picnic lunch with both families. Kent and I have exchaged cell phone numbers before leaving, and aunt Harper took several pictures of the three of us, and I texted those to Kent. Kent and and I tentativly hug, and I'm surprised when I hold my right hand out to Kennedy, he pulls me into a tight hug instead of shaking my hand.

Aunt Harper and I are quiet the entire ride home since we are absorbing everthing. After arriving home, we silently enter the house, and find Hannah, Harley, and Harry sitting around the kitchen table as they each color in a coloring book with either markers, crayons, and colored pencils.

"How did it go?" Hannah asks as she is the first to noitice us causing Harry and Harley to look up at us in curiosity.

Pulling my cell from my front left pocket, I pull up the pictures of Kennedy, Kent and I to show them.

"Oh my, you look almost identical to them! Are they your uncle and cousin?" Hannah squeals as she clutches my phone to study the pictures as Harley and Harry look over her shoulders.

"They are my dad and brother," I murmur still in disbief that this is real. "My dad's name is Kennedy, and Kent just turned 16 last month."

"Well, at least you have a brother," Harry softly chuckles before looking up at me.

"I actually have two brothers, and two sisters," I reply with wide eyes, and Harry and Hannah raise an eyebrow at me in surprise. "Kent, Kory, Kara, and Kayc, and the two girls are twins. Kennedy didn't know I exsisted, but I'm glad he didn't because then I wouldn't have been here with you guys."

"Are you gonna live with them now?" Harley quietly asks with misty eyes, and a wobbly lower lip.

"Nope, not gonna happen," I quickly assure him,and his seems relieved.