Chapter 34 “There is no land like the land of your childhood.” Michael Powell

My heart was a drum pounding in my chest as I stood on the porch of a tiny white house. It was tiny

and tucked into the suburbs, so much so that even my Uber driver had missed it. There wasn’t

anything glamorous about it but I could tell it was well-loved. The tiny garden by the front of the

house was blossoming and the white picket fence looked freshly washed. |)

This was the address Steve had given me. It was nearly an hour from the airport in a tiny, suburban

town called Yorba Linda. It was a relatively easy trek from the airport even if the Uber ride had been

costly.

This is it, Clark. Just ring the doorbell.

As I pressed the doorbell, I could feel the adrenaline pumping

through my veins. Fight or flight, Clark? It’s not too late.

Part of me wanted to turn around and take off. Where I’d go, I’m not sure. But now that I was

actually standing in front of the door, all I wanted to do was flee. I felt completely unprepared. It

had been seven years — what was I supposed to say to the woman who abandoned me seven years

ago?

Unfortunately, I didn’t have any more time to mull it over. I heard the echo of footsteps on the other

side, and then suddenly, the door opened and I was face-to-face with Uncle Steve.

Fight, it is.

A knot settled into my stomach. He looked almost identical to what Iremembered him to be – with

just a few more wrinkles and a thinner face.

he pulled me into a

I managed to

too —

had a thing for

dad or most of the male wolves I’d known, but he

gym rat and even with

were still as big as tree

bald head and heavily-tattooed arms didn’t

always known him as a big softie, he certainly

guy” part.

He pulled back and I caught a glimpse

smile on his

kid,” he said, and I could see tears pooling in

“But enough of this sappy stuff. Let’s get inside. I’m sure you could use something to

drink.”

couldn’t deny that a

was just as cozy as the

meo

long as I could remember, Steve wasn’t much of a relationship

A lot

of his neck. “Well, there is someone,” he said,

uh,

talk more about that later, but

were also

yours

“Speaking of your mother,” he said,

don’t you take a seat at the table and I’ll whip you up some

the room, kid. You still like box

cheese?”

I said,

hen t

[’d learned to cook for myself. I couldn’t always count

was on a

moved in with my dad, the days of box mac

was now Grace’s responsibility. | traded

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