Part 2 of 3

Their biological mother, Celeste Arden Mercer, had supposedly passed away when they were babies.

Sloane became their legal guardian after Julian’s death.

Garrett’s attorney, Vivian Cross, arrived at his penthouse near midnight with preliminary records.

Julian’s death had been ruled accidental.

The documents concerning Celeste were less clear.

One court filing described her as deceased.

Another listed her as absent.

No official death certificate could be found.

There was also one living relative: Julian’s younger brother, Graham Mercer, whose last known address was in Oklahoma City.

“Find him,” Garrett said.

Vivian closed the file.

“You cannot turn these children into another problem you solve by applying pressure.”

“I’m not trying to control their future.”

“Then what are you trying to do?”

Garrett looked around his spotless home. The glass walls, marble counters, and expensive furniture had never felt more empty.

“Make sure someone comes back for them.”

The Man Who Kept Returning

The twins were placed temporarily with an experienced foster family.

Garrett was allowed a short supervised video call the next morning.

Maisie appeared with uneven pigtails. Theo held the stuffed dog beneath one arm.

“What is his name?” Garrett asked.

“Admiral,” Theo replied. “Daddy said admirals never leave their ships.”

Garrett’s chest tightened.

Over the following weeks, he was approved for supervised visits.

The first took place in a pale green family services room filled with toys and picture books.

Maisie asked him to read a story about a fox searching for its home.

Garrett read it like a financial presentation.

Theo interrupted him.

“You have to use different voices.”

“Why?”

“Because foxes don’t sound like company presidents.”

Garrett tried again.

His fox voice was terrible.

The twins laughed until Maisie nearly fell from the couch.

Their laughter was ordinary, but it felt like a miracle.

During another visit, Maisie spilled apple juice on the table.

Her face went pale.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’ll clean it. Please don’t be upset.”

Garrett quickly handed her a napkin.

“Maisie, what happens when someone spills juice?”

Her hands trembled.

“They get in trouble.”

“No. They get napkins.”

She stared at him.

“That’s all?”

“That’s all.”

Maisie began to cry quietly.

Theo walked over and placed Admiral in her arms.

“Admiral says juice is slippery,” he whispered.

Maisie laughed through her tears.

Garrett realized healing was rarely dramatic.

Sometimes healing was simply discovering that a mistake did not make love disappear.

The Uncle Who Arrived Late

Six weeks after the airport incident, Graham Mercer was located.

He arrived at the courthouse wearing work boots and a wrinkled blue shirt. He had Julian’s eyes and the exhausted expression of a man carrying years of regret.

Graham admitted he and Julian had stopped speaking after a family argument.

After Julian died, Graham called Sloane twice. She never returned his calls.

She later sent him a message saying the twins were adjusting and did not need further disruption.

When Graham met them, Theo hid behind Tessa.

Maisie studied him carefully.

“Sloane said you didn’t want us.”

Graham’s face crumpled.

He lowered himself to the floor.

“That isn’t true. I didn’t know you yet, but I never decided I didn’t want you.”

“Why didn’t you come?”

Graham swallowed.

“Because I was angry with your father about something that no longer matters. Then I became ashamed. After that, I waited too long.”

Maisie listened silently.

“Are you still angry?”

“No.”

“At us?”

“Never at you.”

Theo slowly stepped forward and lifted his stuffed dog.

“This is Admiral.”

Graham nodded seriously.

“He looks important.”

“He is.”

That was the beginning.

Graham lived in a small white house outside Oklahoma City. He repaired farm equipment, had no children, and admitted he had no idea how to braid hair or prepare school lunches.

But he was honest.

He began supervised visits, completed parenting courses, changed his work schedule, and prepared two bedrooms.

Maisie discovered a box of Julian’s childhood belongings in Graham’s garage.

There were school photographs, baseball cards, science fair ribbons, and a badly repaired mark on the wall where Julian had once thrown a tennis ball.

For the first time, the children learned that their father had been more than the quiet, tired man they remembered.

He had been a boy who disliked carrots, broke rules, and laughed when nervous.

Through Graham, Julian became real again.