“Gav, I’m sorry I’ve made you feel that way. That’s on me, and it’s something I need to work on. But you doing your own thing is out of the question. Understand? You’re not getting mixed up with those kinds of people.”
Gavin scoffed and Ian raked his hands through his hair, determined to do his best. “If you want your own money, I’ll help you get a real job. If you want to go to Germany to see how things work out with your mom and Wolf, I’ll buy you a plane ticket. If you want to be emancipated, we’ll talk to your mother about it together, and I’ll help you get an experienced lawyer.”
“Dad?” Gavin whispered.
“I want you to have whatever you need to be happy and to feel fulfilled. But if I think you’re on a path that’s going to hurt you in the long run, I’m going to say something—not because I want to yell at you but because I care about you,” Ian continued. “And Gavin, just so you know, there wasn’t a day that I didn’t miss you while I was on missions. I never meant to bury myself inside my career and blow our family up in the process, but that’s what I did and I’m so sorry that it led to the divorce and you feeling like you weren’t a priority.” Ian wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. “I love you, Gav, and I hope and pray that you know that.” He huffed out a laugh. “But if it’s something you need to hear, I’ll work on saying it more often. That’s a promise.”
Gavin opened and closed his mouth, a little stunned.
“You don’t have to say anything now,” Ian said. He checked his watch. “In fact, it’s time for school.”
“I…I’ll think about everything you said, okay?” Gavin promised. He pushed his chair back from the table, grabbed the remaining hash browns and egg, shoved them on top of a piece of toast, and crammed it into his mouth. “Thanks for breakfast,” he said, his mouth full.
Ian smiled. They’d had a breakthrough that was more like a minor miracle, and things seemed about to change, but his son’s eating habits were a constant. And Ian was fine with that.