Southern Sunshine (Southern 8)

“I mean, how did you not know?” She gets up. “A father knows."

"Darlin’," my father says, grabbing her hand and pulling her down next to him.

"Hazel tried to get in touch with me,” I say and swallow hard. “I ignored her."

"Hold on." My father gets up now. “Are you telling me that she said she was pregnant with your child, and you ignored her?" His voice goes loud now, and he looks like he is going to charge at me.

"No." I shake my head. “God, this is not going like I planned." I look at them. “I couldn’t wait to leave here," I tell them, and I know that if I’m going to tell them about Sofia, they should know it all. “I fucking hated living here. I hated the shoes I had to fill." I brush away a tear. “Every single time I went anywhere, I was Casey Barnes son and Quinn’s little brother. Every time I tried to do something, I was always compared to both of you. It ate at me, and I hated myself. I hated my life. I wanted out. I wanted to be me and only me. Reed Barnes, not Casey’s son, not Quinn’s brother, but just me."

"Reed," my mother says, her lower lip quivering.

"It was my living hell, and then I left. It was the best," I tell them. “I was me and no one else. When Hazel reached out to me, I felt like if I answered her, it would be me wanting to come back, so I deleted all my social media."

"Good God," my father says. “She went through all that by herself."

I nod. “Even when I saw her from afar, I didn’t know. It took me meeting Sofia to put everything together." I smile now as the tears roll down my cheeks. “God, it was a love that I can’t even explain. It was like my heart was going to explode in my chest. She’s …" I put my hands on my hips. “She’s fucking amazing, and she’s mine."

"She has your smirk," my father says. “I saw it." He sits down now. “Her smile, it’s …"

"What does this mean?" my mother says. “Can we be a part of her life? Can I go visit her?" She can’t stop the sob. “She had the baby by herself without any help. I just can’t even imagine."

"We are going to tell her today that I’m her father,” I say, the smile mixing with the tears.

"Instead of Uncle Reed." My father sits down now as if all the tension has left his body. "What does that mean with your service?"

"I’m done,” I say the two words that no one but my commander knew. “No way can I leave her now." I shake my head. “Not when I just got her."

My mother looks down at her hands in her lap. “This is the reason, isn’t it?" my father asks, and I just look at him. "You have to know as a parent, seeing you when you got back took a piece of our souls. We would give everything we have to make sure you were happy, anything and everything." I look down, and when he looks up, I can see the anguish that it did to him. Having to go through it again, I can’t even imagine how helpless they must have felt. "When you came back home, your eyes …" He stops talking now, his voice cracking. My mother grabs his hand, and they share a look. “Your eyes were dead." His eyes look at mine. “Now there is light back in them."

The tears roll down my cheeks now as I look at my parents, who would do anything in the world to make sure we are happy. My parents suffered in silence as I lived with my own demons. But looking at them and thinking about Sofia and Hazel, a smile comes to my face. I nod, looking my father in the eyes. “I guess it is, then,” I say now. “They are the reason."

Chapter 26

Hazel

"Momma." I hear Sofia calling me, and I look over at her. “What happened to Uncle Reed?"

"What do you mean?" I ask and turn to look down at the eggs I’m making her for breakfast. I got a text from Reed this morning at seven, telling me he was on his way to his parents’ house. I’m trying not to freak out about the whole thing, knowing as soon as he’s done, he’s going to come over here and we will tell Sofia.

"He comes for breakfast,” she says, not looking up from her coloring pages. "Is he sick?"

"No," I say, placing her eggs on the plate with her two pieces of toast. “He was probably busy this morning." I put the plate down and grab my cup of coffee, knowing I’m too nervous to even bother eating. "Do you like Uncle Reed?" I ask, bringing the cup to my mouth. I watch her nod her head. A sigh of relief comes out of me when I hear a soft knock on the door. I put my cup down and almost fly to the door.