“Yeah?” her father’s gruff voice sounded through the intercom.
“Mr. Moore. It’s Devin Roarke. I’m looking for Serena and Andrew.”
“Come on up.” The door buzzed and I walked in. I guess they were at her parents’ place. I hated to bug them, but I did owe her an apology for missing lunch.
When I got to her apartment, I knocked.
“Devin, come in,” Mr. Moore said as he swung open the door. “Glad you’re here.”
I stepped in; the place was quiet. “Is Serena or Andrew here?”
“They’re at the park with my wife. They’ll be back any minute. Want a whiskey?”
After a day like today, I wanted several. “Maybe a small one.”
“Sorry to hear about your father. Is he okay?” Mr. Moore went to his liquor cabinet and poured two small glasses of whiskey.
“He looks frail but his mind and tongue are sharp as ever.”
Mr. Moore laughed. “Sounds like you’ve been cut a few times.”
I shrugged. “I think my father forgets I’m grown up.”
“With a son of your own even,” he said handing me the glass.
Huh?
“I have to say, I was worried how you’d take it or what you’d do. It does my heart good to see you here, Devin.”
“Ah…yes sir.”
“Andrew thinks the world of you. When do you and Serena intend to tell him?”
I sipped the whiskey trying to figure out what he was talking about. Tell Andrew what? “Ah…I don’t know. To be honest sir, I’m not sure what—”
“You know, I saw it from the beginning. The boy looks like you.” His eyes narrowed at me. “I don’t like the idea that you took advantage of my daughter all those years ago, but Andrew is the heart and soul of this family, so I guess it’s a good thing you did. I just hope that you weren’t as careless with other women over the years.”
I stared at Mr. Moore completely confused. He was speaking English and if I wasn’t mistaken, he was talking to me as if I was Andrew’s father. But that couldn’t be right. First, Serena would have told me. Second, the boy was four, and I’d been with Serena nearly five years ago to the day. Shit. Pregnancy. I’d forgotten about the nine months. Was it possible?
My brain was in a whirl, unable to sort out what was going on.
“You weren’t, were you?” he asked. “Careless?”
I shook my head. “No sir.” I always used a condom. Except the last time with Serena but she’d told me she was on the pill and I believed her. I thought back to five years ago. I’d used a condom then too…except…Jesus, I think I didn’t once.
My lungs seized and my heart sped up like it was running the Indie 500.
Mr. Moore’s brows pulled together in concern. “Are you all right? You’re looking a little pale.”
The door opened and I heard people enter.
“Devin!” Andrew called and rushed to me, wrapping his arms around my legs.
“Hey.” I looked up at Serena, who was looking at me much in the same way as her father was.
“Devin and were just having a chat about fatherhood,” Mr. Moore said.
Immediately Serena’s eyes widened into panic. I looked down at the boy again, and knowing struck at the heart of me. Andrew was my son.
I looked at Serena. “Is it true?”
“Devin…I…”
“Of course, it’s true,” Mr. Moore said. He paused for a moment, looking from Serena then to me, before giving his attention to her again. “Ah hell, Serena, you told him, didn’t you?”
“Is what true?” Andrew asked.
“Oh dear.” Mrs. Moore’s gaze darted from me to her husband to Serena. They all settled on Andrew. “Sweetie, let’s go to the park. You too, Graham.”
“I’m right behind you,” he said.
“We just got back from the park. I want to see Devin.” Andrew held my legs tighter.
“Let’s get ice cream,” Mr. Moore held his hand out. “Come on Andrew. Your mom needs to talk to Devin, here.”
“Can I see you later?” Andrew looked up at me.
My son. Jesus. I could barely breathe. “Yes. Of course.”
He released my leg, and with Mr. and Mrs. Moore, he left the apartment.
My brain was still whirling as I looked at Serena. The guilt on her face said it all. The more I stared at her, the angrier I got.
“Why?” I couldn’t seem to form a coherent sentence. My words were lost in the anger and shock and pain.
She stepped to me, reaching her hands out. I stepped back from her. Repulsed by the idea that she’d keep something like this from me.
She stopped and looked down. “I was going to tell you, but the time was never right?”
“Don’t lie to me!”
Her head shook. “I’m not. I was going to tell you the night we got back from Washington, but your mom called—”
“You could have told me but decided to fuck me instead. Same for all those times at the beach house too. Don’t tell me you couldn’t have told me sooner. Jesus, I can’t believe this.” I raked my fingers through my hair, feeling like I wanted to throttle something. Everything about her started to fall in place. I whirled on her. “You weren’t going to tell me at all, were you?”
“I was. I was going to—”
“No. That’s why you tried to avoid me in the beginning, isn’t it? You wanted me to stay away so I wouldn’t ever know my own son. God…Serena…how could you?”
She was crying now but I had no sympathy. “I was afraid.”
“Bullshit.”
“I was.”
“You didn’t even tell me you were pregnant. Why not? You think I’m that much of a dick that you didn’t tell me.”
“I don’t think you’re a dick. I think you’re wonderful. I love you—”
“Bullshit. If you loved me, you’d have never, ever, kept this from me. Who does that? Who finds out they’re pregnant and doesn’t tell the father?”
Her voice pitched up in desperation. “I wanted to, really I did. You changed your number. I couldn’t find you.”
“My parents live in New York. They knew where
