Exhale

Hidden Secrets

As the line goes dead I stare at my phone in my hand. Did he just say father? Liv is looking at me with curious eyes, "Maggie, you ok?" She asks. "No, I don't know. That was Derek, he said some guy is at the house saying he's his dad." I tell her. "What? That's crazy." Laura says. "I know, I got to get the girls and go. I'll let you guys know what's going on." I say and call for Bailey and Alaina.

I get them loaded up in the car, "Mom, why are we going home so soon?" Bailey asks as I climb in the driver side. "Because your dad needs us home." I say to her and she nods. As I pull up I see the other guys have already left. I get the girls out and head inside. Once inside I tell Bailey to take the twins down to her room for a little bit.

I hear Derek talking in the kitchen, I slowly walk into the room. I notice a man with greying hair sitting with his back towards me. "Derek, everything ok?" I ask him. The man turns around and I see an older version of my husband staring back at me. He smiles at me, that same kind smile Derek has. "Hello, you must be Maggie. I'm Sterling." He says as he stands and offers his hand. I nod and shake it.

"Sorry to just barge in here like this. Hanna came to me a few months before she passed and told me about you. And that It's time we meet, I have grandkids." He says with a laugh. "So the man I grew up knowing as my father wasn't my father? And my mother knew this and never told me?" Derek asks. I sit down at the table and Sterling follows.

"Derek, your mother and I were young. She fell in love with another man. I knew about you, but Hanna wanted Charles to raise you as his. I loved your mother, always have so I let her have her way." Sterling says to us. "Have you ever wondered about Derek?" I ask him. "Of course I did. It was quite a shock when she came to me." He says. Derek shifts uncomfortably by the bar. I know this is probably awkward for him.

Bailey comes upstairs, "Dad, Elijah broke my bank!" She whines holding up pieces of her Olaf coin bank. Sterling smiles at her. "She has your eyes." He says. Derek ignores him and grabs the pieces from Bailey and throws them away. "Elijah Dean! Get up here!" He shouts down into Bailey's room. Derek looks back at Sterling, shakes his head and goes to get Elijah.

"Sorry, with an eleven year old and seven year old twins, things get crazy." I say. He smiles, "Twins, that's right Hanna told me about them as well." He says. I'm curious to know more about this man. "So Sterling, what do you do? Where are you from?" I ask him. "I'm a musician. I have a band we travel around. We're not big time or anything. I'm originally from Nashville, I met Hanna in Atlanta nearly thirty three years ago." He says.

Derek came up with Alaina and Elijah attached to his legs. "That's amazing. Derek must get his musical talent from you. So what's your last name?" I ask him. "Maggie, stop asking him questions. We don't even know for sure if he is my father." Derek says. "Oh no she's fine. It's Sullivan. And if you're curious my full name is Sterling Ryan Sullivan. I was born August ninth. Derek, your mother asked me to give you this in case you had doubt." He says handing Derek an envelope.

Derek takes it going through it. I sit forward in my chair, watching as he takes out a piece of paper and what looks like a few pictures. "Mrs. Grayson can I go out with some friends?" James asks. I look at Derek and he nods, "Sure, James just be in the house by nine." I say. He nods and heads out. "Another one of yours?" Sterling asks. "No, we're watching him for a friend. They're on their honeymoon." I say and he nods.

Derek hands me the envelope. I look at the two photos inside, one of Derek when he was a baby and I read the back of the other one. It's Sterling at about the same age. They're the spitting image of each other. I read the note included,

Derek,

I'm so sorry I've kept this secret from you all these years. Sterling is your real father. I know you my son, you're asking "how do I know for sure," and "Am I telling you the truth." Honey, I assure he's your father. He was my first. So please let him into your life now, as I regret I did not years ago. He's a wonderful man and he would have been a great father to you.