18

Tennyson

Later that night, after the kids were in bed and Ronan was taking a shower, Ten sat alone in the living room watching an episode of Chopped . He had the sound down low and wasn't paying a whole lot of attention to the chefs running around the kitchen at top speed and cooking with foods he wouldn't eat on a dare. His thoughts spun around what happened earlier with Carson agreeing to give his father a kidney.

If Ten had been in Carson's shoes, he wouldn't have agreed to do it. Corny was never there for his sons physically, emotionally, or financially. The only time his sons or wife heard from him was when he needed something. Maybe he'd burn in hell for all eternity, but Ten would have gladly faced the flames with both of his kidneys.

"Oh, Tenny, what a mess," Bertha Craig said, appearing on the couch beside him.

"How much of the conversation tonight did you hear?" Ten asked.

"Every last word." Bertha looked as if she were worn to the bone. "To be honest, I wouldn't have given Corny one of my kidneys and wouldn't have let my boys do it either when they were younger."

"For Everly or Ronan, I wouldn't even think twice about it. I'd go into the kitchen, grab a knife, and carve it out myself." He was a wimp when it came to pain, so maybe he wouldn't cut it out himself.

"Same for my sons or my grandbabies. It's not that Corny doesn't deserve to live and be happy, but more a matter of how much can you give a person who only wants to take from you? I had a lot of friends who urged me to kick his ass to the curb years before I actually did it. I kept thinking that Corny would grow up and get a real job. That he'd wake up one day and realize what an amazing kid Carson was, and he'd throw himself into being a father the way he threw himself into being a con man. It never happened. Now, Carson's got a husband and three kids of his own, and in a few weeks, only one kidney. How much more can we be expected to give this man?"

Ten understood exactly what Bertha was saying. "I've seen stories on the news where a person agrees to donate to someone they've never met before. I mean, it's one thing to donate blood or bone marrow because they replenish themselves, but it takes a different level of selflessness to do it for a total stranger, which Corny is, if you think about it."

"Of course, we have the benefit of knowing Carson's going to be just fine. There won't be any mishaps in the OR, and his recovery will be a snap. Imagine going into this surgery not knowing any of those things?"

"Very true. When it comes to doing what Carson's offering, for Ronan and my kids, I'd do it in a heartbeat. For my father, maybe not." Ten sighed. He hadn't considered himself to be a practicing Christian since a Greyhound bus drove him out of Kansas, but all the same, he knew his thoughts weren't charitable in the slightest.

Bertha poked Ten's arm. "I disagree. I was there the night you learned that David had passed. I saw you at his coffin. I could feel your sorrow over losing him. I think you would have done it."

"Not until he apologized for kicking me out of my house and my town for being a gay psychic." Ten crossed his arms over his chest. This topic was a hill he was prepared to die on.

"People are who they are, Tenny. I think if David got to know you as an adult the way Kaye did, he would have come around. Everly wouldn't have given him much of a choice. Same goes for Ezra—there's a lot of David in that little boy."

"You got me there," Ten admitted. "I can't tell you how many times I heard the phrase ‘hate the sin, love the sinner' during my lifetime. I'm not sure David would have ever gotten to a place where he'd feel like I wasn't sinning by being with Ronan."

"You may be right, but that's not your problem. It's David's." Bertha paused. "Same goes for what happened with River."

"Low blow, Bertha." Ten reached for her hand. "I don't know that I can ever forgive him for what he did to my brother, his mom, and to Kaye."

"Uh, excuse me? The last time I looked, you weren't Jesus Christ. It's not your job to forgive him for what happened with River. Which also means that it isn't my job to forgive Corny for the way he treated my sons. Shit!" Bertha pouted.

"I knew if I gave you enough space, you'd tangle yourself in that spiderweb." Ten chuckled. "It's been months since I've seen my father. I've asked Everly if he's been in touch, but she won't tell me. Can you imagine my own daughter not letting me in on what's going on with David?"

"I won't do it either." Bertha pressed a kiss to Ten's cheek. "But I will do this. Toodles!" Bertha laughed and vanished. Sitting at the other end of the sofa was none other than David Grimm.

"Hey, Ten," David said with a little wave.

"Hi, Dad." Ten should have known Bertha was up to something when she brought David up.

"I've done a lot of thinking about the last time we saw each other. The things I said about River and his mother, and I want you to know I regret those words."

"Okay," Ten said, not entirely ready to forgive his father for what happened with River, but as Bertha said, it wasn't his job to forgive his father for that sin.

"I'm not here to make excuses for the way I acted back in the day. I just want you to know I've been spending time with River and his family, and they're wonderful." David sniffled and swiped at his misty eyes. "I don't know how it happened, but my son is kind and gentle. He loves his daughter with every cell in his body, and so do I. Brooke is just the sweetest little girl."

"You're right on both counts," Ten said with a smile. "Only seeing River twice this year isn't enough. I think we're going down there for Thanksgiving, and maybe they'll come up for Christmas, but I wish he was here, living on this street with the rest of our family. Everly, Aurora, and Brooke became fast friends, and I know the girls miss Brookie very much."

"Do you think you could help me speak with him when you're in Florida for Thanksgiving?" David asked, looking as if he expected Ten to say no.

It was on the tip of Ten's tongue to ask David just how satanic his gift was now, but he swallowed those words. David asking Ten to use his gift was something he'd never done before. "If River wants to speak with you, then I'll help make it happen."

"I can't ask for more than that." David smiled at his son. "Am I allowed to visit Everly and Ezra again?"

Ten nodded. "I shouldn't have kept you from them."

"Bertha filled me in on how they've been doing, but I missed seeing them myself." David wore a grateful look.

"I appreciate you listening to me when I asked you to stay away." Guilt swamped Tennyson like a rogue wave in a dinghy.

"You were protecting your kids. I can't fault you for that."

Ten hadn't expected this much maturity from David. "I'm hoping we can start spending time together again too."

"We can," Ten agreed, feeling his heart lighten. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, son." David offered his son a smile. "If you don't mind, I'm gonna peek in on the kids before I go. Thanks, Ten. I love you."

Ten felt his heart stop beating as David uttered the words he longed to hear. "I love you too, Dad."

With his message delivered, David vanished.

All the bad feelings and ill will Ten had for his father dissipated. He felt renewed and free. Shutting off the television, Ten headed upstairs. If he was lucky, he'd catch Ronan still in the shower. Either way, he couldn't wait to tell his husband what happened with David.

Happier than he'd been in months, Ten whistled a happy tune on his way to find Ronan.