I sank onto my couch, Peanut curling up next to me as if sensing my turmoil. My heart raced with confusion and a tinge of anger. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked, struggling to keep my voice steady.
“It was complicated, sweetheart. Your grandfather… he had his issues, but he loved you. It broke his heart when we cut off contact. I never imagined he’d find you like this.”
I thought of the kind man in the diner—his quiet presence, the generous tips, the way he’d looked at me last Sunday. All this time, he’d been right there, sitting just a few booths away, trying to connect in the only way he knew how.
