Finding Finley ✔

18

I've been sitting in the driveway for about fifteen minutes trying to figure out what I'll say or do when he opens the door and I'm face to face with him. 

It's now or never. 

I walk up to the door, remembering when I did this exact same thing two years ago. Back then I was determined to get my dad to care about Kit and the fact that he could be gone at any minute. I was sure that our dad would care that one of his children was dying, that Kit's tumor would be the thing to bring him back into our lives. I don't know why I wanted that so badly back then, I guess I just wanted to feel like I had more family because there was a chance that we were going to lose a member. 

I knock on the door, holding my breath as I wait for it to open. After a moment, I'm surprised to see a a blonde woman be the one to do so. Her blue eyes look me up and down before a small smile greets me.

"Hello, Finn." Her voice is warm and welcoming, I can't help but to smile back at her. 

"Hello..."

"Michelle. I'm your dad's fiance." She extends her hand, but before I can shake it or say anything, a blonde boy comes running down the hallway laughing and crashes into Michelle's leg. 

"Carson, be careful!" She scolds the little boy and he looks up, giving her a wide smile. 

"Sorry, mama." 

I  stand in the doorway feeling totally out of place as I watch the scene play out before me, my eyes glued to the little boy, Carson. My brother, Carson. 

Unlike Kit and I, Carson has light features. His hair is a dark blonde, his eyes are a light blue and his skin is a pale white whereas we're more tan. Carson looks like his mom, while like Kit and I look like our dad. 

"Carson, this is Finn." Michelle's voice drags me back to the situation I'm in. It feels surreal to be standing in front of my dad's new family. 

"Hi, Finn!" Carson excitedly waves at me from his mother's side. 

"Hey, bud." I give the kid a small wave causing his smile to get wider. 

"Carson, why don't you go finish watching your show while I talk to Finn for a minute." 

"Okay!" He takes off running back down the hallway, where I assume there's a television.

Michelle turns her attention back to me,  "Fletcher isn't here right now, but you're more than welcome to come inside and wait for him. I know he would love to talk to you, Finn. He really  wants to apologize to you and your brother, but Kit has made it pretty clear he wants nothing to do with your dad."

I don't know what to say. I hadn't expected this. I was expecting to knock on the door and be filled with anger when my dad answered. I didn't think that I would be calm and curious when I met his new wife and son. "Yeah, I'd like to wait for him if that's okay with you." 

"Of course. Come on in." She steps back, gesturing for me to come inside the house and when the door closes behind me she leads to the living room - the same living room I sat in two years ago. 

Hopefully this time things go better. 

I feel as if I'm dreaming the entire thing, like I'm not really here and this isn't really happening. The last couple of times I'd been here, I only saw my dad and he was emotionless and cold. Seeing Michelle's friendly smile and seeing Carson, it's like this is an entirely different house. 

Carson is sitting on the floor, his eyes glued to the television where a show about talking cars is playing. When he hears us walk into the room, he runs over to me.