CHAPTER 17

"Hello, dad, nice to see you," Brian exclaimed, flinching imperceptibly when he saw his father walking into the library. "Don't tell me you came here looking for a book." He tried to sound relaxed.

"What else would an old fella like me do in a library?" Anthony answered with a joke. "Actually, I've come to see you, son; there is something I want to ask you. It won't take long, I promise," the man continued in a somewhat tense voice.

"That's okay, Dad." Brian swallowed hard, hoping his father didn't notice how nervous he was. "I'm usually pretty busy in the morning, but with a little bit of luck…"

"Did you do what I asked you, son?" Anthony cut the librarian short. "Did you find my child?"

"Find what? Or who?" Brian feigned confusion, hoping his father would buy it.

"Your sibling, the one I told you about last time we went fishing at the lake." Anthony answered in a patient voice. "We talked about it a while ago, when you, Bart, and the kids came to visit me and your mama, and you said that…"

"Oh!" Brian exclaimed, slapping his forehead. "I wanted to call you a few times, tell you I hit another dead end." The man sighed. "Look, I can't involve Julien. He'd tell Eddie right away, and you know how close my little brother and Mama are. Since you still haven't told her about the child you have with another woman…"

"Son, I think this is the first time you've ever lied to me." Anthony cut the librarian short in a flat voice. "I can't imagine why you would keep things from me, but I have this gut feeling, and it's rarely wrong."

Brian let out a long sigh as he was driving to Ardan and Alasdair's house, the talk he and his father had a day earlier playing in his head again and again. He was grateful for his friend's offer; the man was a good listener and the advice he offered always helped those who sought it to find a way out, no matter how desperate their situation was.

Besides, Brian didn't want to burden his loved ones with that problem. The librarian was sure Bart loved him to the moon and back, with everything he had, but sometimes the man wondered if Liam's presence in the house wasn't a reminder that his husband loved someone else enough to make a child with them.

Of course, the circumstances were different. Brian's father was aware of the baby's existence right from the start. While he didn't have any idea his short relationship with Margaret, more a series of romps between sheets, resulted in a pregnancy. However, the librarian often wondered lately how the girl would have reacted had he known about the child and wanted to get involved in his raising and education.

Shit, I almost missed the house, Brian mentally cursed, taking the turn into Ardan and Alasdair's driveway. He parked the car, stepped out of it, and headed to the front door, which opened before he got in front of it. The masters of the house greeted the librarian in the doorway, offering him warm smiles and tight hugs, then all three of them went into the living room.

"How are you?" Ardan started in a soft voice tinged with worry. "Come on, tell me what's bothering you. Some twenty years ago, I was like you, stressing over everything, not talking about my problems, because I didn't want to burden my Spitfire with them…until I understood I needed help, so I started talking to my friends." His signature small smile was playing on the man's lips.

"Tired and worn down but okay." It was Brian's turn to offer his hosts a small smile. "You know I work like crazy and I'm a papa of eight, so things get crazy sometimes. However, that's not what has me stressed." The man ran a hand over his face. "Your spitfire is right. I've tried to fix an impossible issue, and it simply became too much."

"You don't have to be alone in this." Ardan leaned forward and put a hand on the librarian's knee. "Now, why don't you tell us what this is all about? Like my dear Pater likes to say, you can start from the middle or end of the story, just start."

His friend's words made Brian relax, and he even laughed a bit. "I prefer the beginning." He inhaled sharply. "My dad told me not long ago he had an affair when I was thirteen and there was a child from that. The mom didn't want my dad in the child's life at the time. He asked me to find the child, only it turned out to be twins."

"That's…whoa!" Alasdair exclaimed, eyes widened in disbelief. "It must have been quite a surprise. I mean, from what you told me about him, your father didn't seem the cheater type. No wonder you passed out and nearly had a heart attack." He gave the librarian a compassionate look. "At least, did you find your siblings?"

"I did, and they only want to be friends." Brian let out a long, heavy sigh. "I haven't told Dad. Last time I went to see him and Mom, he asked me if I found out anything, and I lied. Yesterday, Dad came to the library and called me out on it. After he left, I felt this pain and pressure in my chest, and I thought I was having a heart attack. Fortunately, Tanner was with me, and he noticed I wasn't acting right." The man tilted his head backwards and closed his eyes. "I've been put in an impossible situation."

"It's a complicated situation, indeed, but be honest with your dad; at least, that's my advice." Ardan calmly spoke. "Tell him your siblings don't want you in their life as an older brother and ask him to respect their decision."

"Ugh!" Brian exclaimed, rolling his eyes. "That conversation will be fun, but that makes sense." He sighed. "What worries me is how he'll take that they don't want to meet him."

Ardan sensed the little cogs inside the librarian's head began to spin in search of the best way to deliver the not-so-good news to his father. He'll start stressing in no time , the man thought, and changed the subject. Indeed, after only five minutes of talking to the two husbands about anything and everything, from children to food, books, and the upcoming arts and crafts festival, their guest visibly relaxed.

However, as he was driving back home, Brian started to think again about Ardan's suggestion; although it was the only logical thing to do. He didn't know how to sweeten the bitter pill his father would have to swallow. He dreaded the moment when he'd have to have that conversation, and asked whoever was governing the universe for a sign. Any sign.

Brian's prayers were answered a week later, when, checking the security cameras, he saw his father's car parked across the street, and the man heading to the library. It was lunchtime, so both Stephanie and Bailey, who decided to work from home, were inside. After a short moment of panic, the librarian put together a plan.

Brian guided his two siblings into his small office in the back, the one he only rarely used, and turned on the surveillance system, then went back in the main reading hall, taking his seat behind the counter a few seconds before his father, Anthony, walked into the building. The man headed straight to the counter, hands raised in a gesture of surrender.

"I'm here to apologize," Anthony said, making his son gasp in surprise. "I didn't realize what a heavy weight I put on your shoulders," he continued. "On top of that, I blamed you for not solving a problem that you didn't create, and got upset without realizing my son was lost while trying to make sense of a situation that wasn't his to figure out."

Brian listened to Anthony without interrupting him, then went on the other side of the counter and hugged his father. "The only reason why I kept things hidden from you was that I couldn't find a way to make my two half-siblings' refusal of getting in touch with you and considering our family, Cavallieris, their family less painful.

At that point, Stephanie and Bailey went into the room where Brian and his father were. "I'm Stephanie and this is Bailey. We don't need any relatives other than our mother, who passed away. We value Brian's friendship very much," she continued. "In a few short months, he became one of the best friends we ever had. Please don't stress him out with that matter anymore," Stephanie said to Anthony.

In a polite tone, Stephanie said to Anthony, "Stressing Brian out with this matter wouldn't do any good to anyone, and it will not change our decision. The sound of the surveillance system was on, so we could hear you apologizing to him," she continued, "but we both wanted you to hear it from us, too."

"Thank you, Stephanie, for your honesty, and I promise to close the subject of both of your paternities." He then hugged Brian. "Thank you, son, for the way you dealt with everything and for being the dutiful, loving son you are," Anthony said.

Everything will be alright, the librarian thought, sighing in contentment and relief, as he melted in his father's embrace.

**********

"I'm putting you in charge of managing the family's fortune; you are a wise man, who will make sure everyone gets what is rightfully theirs. Your mama and I already have more than we need to live the life we're accustomed to, with vacations abroad every summer and trips to the cabin by the lake."

Brian's father's words, as plain and innocent as they sounded to someone who was not familiar with the Cavallieri family's problems, contained a coded message the man identified and deciphered right away. Anthony wanted him to give Stephanie and Bailey a share from everything the family owned; it was his way of acknowledging the two as his children.

Brian wanted to put some real estate properties and other assets in his two half-siblings' names, but without them knowing. He called Callahan to ask him what was the best method of doing that. The lawyer said that wasn't something to talk about over the phone and promised to make time to visit the library later that day.

He should be here any minute , Brian said to himself, reading the message that Callahan sent him again, with the time of the meeting, and then checked his watch. The lawyer was the embodiment of punctuality, and he valued that quality in others, too. The librarian also respected him for his professionalism and competence.

Time flies so fast, Brian thought, remembering that Callahan also came to show him the yearly report on the Cavallieri estate's situation. I can't believe it's been a year since Luca and I went to Sicily to work incognito at Nuzzo's farm, the librarian continued his internal monologue, shaking his head.

It was also a year since Brian found out about the immense wealth the Cavallieri Family possessed and the first time he visited the imposing Castello Cavallieri, the cradle of his family. From the very first second he set foot in the imposing edifice, the librarian felt he belonged there. Every corner felt oddly familiar, like he lived his whole life there.

On summer holiday, Brian planned to take all his family, including his brothers, their husbands and children, onboard the biggest private jet the family owned, and take them for a two-week vacation to Sicily. He intended to ask for Don Calogero's permission to take Mauro there, too; since he met Nuzzo and talked to him, the last time the man visited Stefano, in New York City, spending some time at his farm, among horses, was the kid's biggest dream.

Suddenly, an idea crossed Brian's mind, making him smile. He was going to invite Stephanie, Bailey, and of course, Lennox, to join them. It was another subtle way of including his half-siblings in the family without them feeling forced in any way. They are going to like it there, the librarian said to himself. Scratch that, they are going to love it , he smiled at the thought.