Chapter 5

He sighed. Then he said, “Well, but my dad…”

He was interrupted by the appearance of my father in the doorway, who, apparently hearing only part of that statement, dropped his coffee and ran in. He took the boy gently by the arm and turned him to face him. He stared from the boy back to me and then he, Dad, that is, started to cry.

“Oh, son,” Dad cried, looking back at me and crushing the boy to him in a grand hug. “I never knew…I always thought…but…you’ve made me so happy!” Then he pushed Jesse back from him and stared blindly into his eyes. “I’m—your—grandfather. Maybe your other grandfather that you didn’t even know about, but still! Oh, my dear God. This is the best day of my life. Do you drink coffee? No, I suppose not. Let’s go to the cafeteria and get you some food. Or cookies? Coke? Cake? Then we’ll come back up here and take you home, to—his house.” He nodded at me. “And we’ll make up your bed and you can meet the cat. Okay?”