He stepped closer. “I didn’t know about you. I only found out recently.”
Before I could respond, Jeremy appeared, holding an envelope. “Megan, I’ve been looking for him. For two years.”
My heart skipped a beat. “You’ve been looking for him? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Jeremy’s voice softened, heavy with regret. “I knew how much it hurt you, especially around Christmas. I thought maybe this could bring you some peace… or a fresh start.”
He handed me the envelope. Inside was a DNA test confirming the man’s claim. Jeremy explained how he had tracked down my mother’s sister and eventually found my father.
I turned to the man. “You didn’t know about me?”
“No,” he whispered, voice cracking. “If I had, I would’ve been there.”
I felt a rush of emotions—anger, longing, loss. “You weren’t there. I grew up without you.”
“I know,” he said, his voice thick with regret. “And I regret it every day. But if you’ll let me, I want to be here now.”
Jeremy’s hand found mine. Slowly, I looked into the man’s eyes—eyes that mirrored my own. “I don’t know if I can call you Dad,” I whispered, my voice shaky. “But maybe… maybe we could start over.”
A tear slipped down his cheek. “That’s all I ever hoped for.”
Outside, the soft sound of Christmas carols drifted through the air. For the first time, Christmas didn’t feel like an empty void. It felt like the beginning of something new—something I never thought I’d have.t time, Christmas didn’t feel like a hollow ache. It felt like the beginning of something new—something I never thought I’d have.