Page 196 of Bend

“I didn’t want to meet you while I still felt like I was standing in the middle of everyone else’s life trying to figure out where I fit.”

“You don’t have to apologize either, I get it,”

“I wanted to get settled first. Know my brothers, and the team. Know who I was in all of this before I added another person to it.”

His face softens.

“And then this happened.”

“Yeah.”

I look toward the window, tears brimming along my eyes as I pull Wolfe’s hoodie tighter around my body.

“I really didn’t want to meet you like this.”

His eyes drop.

“Neither did I.”

I look back at him and take in how tired he looks, how much this has hit him too even though Wolfe wasn’t his son. He came because Talon and Sayshen were hurting, because the guys were hurting, because this team has been part of his life through his boys for years.

And he came fast.

That matters to me.

“I’m glad you’re here.”

His eyes lift.

“I mean it.”

Something in his expression breaks open a little.

“I’m glad I came.”

“You came for them.”

“I came for the team,” he says quietly. “And my children.”

There’s no hesitation in it. No careful wording meant to keep me from bolting. Just the truth.

I nod, staring down at my hands for a second because looking at him suddenly feels harder. “They needed you.”

“So did you.”

My eyes lift.

His jaw tightens like he’s trying to keep his own shit together. “However you want that to look, Echo. If you want me here as someone who’s part of the team, I can do that. If you want me here as your father…” He swallows. “I can do that too.”

My throat burns.

“Can I pick both?”

He looks at me for a long second, something soft breaking through all the guilt and anger on his face.

Then he nods. “Yeah. You can pick both.”

That does something to me.