It was a tiny, clinical room that was also somehow sacred.
The shelves were stocked with toys in subdued hues, and a child psychologist sat quietly at her desk in the corner, present but politely out of reach. With nervous hands, Michael sat at one end of the dimly lit room. Like a war drum, his heart pounded.
The door opened with a creak.
With a Rubik's cube in one hand and doubt in his big brown eyes, Jason entered. Lorna hovered behind him, her fingers twitching at her side, for a breath longer than was necessary. The door softly closed behind her as she left.
With a tentative smile, Michael stood up slowly. "Hi, Jason."
Jason gave him a long, hard look. "Hello."
Like a stranger, silence sat between them.
Michael dropped to Jason's level. "I've been eager to meet you in person for a very long time."
Jason gave him a questioning look. "The man from the beach is you. You were aware of my name.
"I did." I am well-informed about you.
Jason's head cocked. "Are you my real dadr?"
The query cut through the atmosphere. Michael's breath caught, but he told the truth.
"I am a person who is concerned about you. Much," he said cautiously,
being aware of the boundaries and court orders. Additionally, I hope we can become friends. For the time being.
Jason nodded after blinking. "All right."
Suddenly, a bridge was taking shape.
Lorna sat on the hallway bench outside the room, gazing at her clasped hands. Relief, guilt, and longing were all mixed together in her emotions.
Lucas paced opposite her.
He had not desired to attend. Since they had arrived, he had remained silent. His silence had become cracked and dangerous, no longer composed.
"They're laughing in there," he remarked sourly. "As if he hadn't left you."
Lucas jerked his head in her direction. "And do you feel bad about it?"
She didn't respond.
She was unable to.
Not when the battlefield of comfort and truth was her chest. Not after witnessing Jason's eyes light up with recognition as well as curiosity.
Not until she became aware that she wasn't at peace for the first time in five years.
She sensed that something was starting to fall apart.
Jason was sitting cross-legged in the room again, demonstrating to Michael how to beat a level in a video game on a tablet.
The words were not heard by Michael. The only thing he saw was his son, just as he used to, with the way his eyes wrinkled when he laughed and the way he bit his bottom lip in concentration.
Jason glanced up at the psychologist when he called time. "Next week, will you be here?"
With a gentle and confident tone, Michael grinned. "At all times. I swear.
Jason gave a nod. "All right. I enjoyed our conversation.
The words were straightforward. However, they were everything.
Lorna saw Lucas drinking by himself in the kitchen that evening, his eyes vacant and his jaw clenched.
He withdrew his hand when she reached for it.
"I'm losing you," he muttered. "And you may not even be aware of it."
Lorna remained silent.
Perhaps because she did.
Perhaps it was too late already.