He smiled faintly.
“Ethan folds his arms exactly like I do.”
I laughed despite myself.
“Daniel bites his lip when he’s nervous.”
Adrian smiled.
“Noah doesn’t trust strangers.”
“Neither do you.”
“And Samuel…”
He stopped.
“What about Samuel?”
“He laughs the way I used to.”
I looked at him.
“You remember?”
“I remember everything.”
Then he said something that made my chest hurt.
“I should have been there.”
“Yes.”
“I should have held them when they were born.”
“Yes.”
“I should have watched them walk.”
“Yes.”
“I should have heard their first words.”
I swallowed.
“Yes.”
He looked at me.
“Is it too late?”
I didn’t answer immediately.
Finally, I said:
“It’s too late to be the father you should have been.”
His eyes dropped.
“But…”
He looked up.
“It’s not too late to be their father now.”
