For a split second, the look on his face changed from panic to something like disbelief, maybe even shock. Then he walked towards us, almost running.
As he got closer, I noticed the dark circles under his eyes and the wrinkles on his face. This was no longer the confident and carefree brother I remembered. He looked… worn out. And, to be honest, it touched me a little.
Not enough to dispel all the bitterness, but it was difficult to remain angry when I saw how much life had already taken its toll on him.
‘Tommy,’ Ryan said, his voice trembling with relief.
He grabbed Tommy by the shoulders, gave him a quick hug, and then took a step back.
His gaze darted from me to Tommy, as if he was trying to understand what was happening.
‘I can’t believe it… thank you for…’
His voice trailed off, uncertain and awkward.
I nodded, trying to regain control of my emotions. A thick, uncomfortable silence fell between us. Years without communication, unresolved anger — it all hung in the air like a weight pressing down on both of us.
‘You’re welcome,’ I finally said, though the words sounded harsher than I intended.
Ryan glanced at Tommy, then back at me. He looked… I don’t know, wary and cautious at the same time. As if he didn’t know how to behave in my presence. And maybe he really didn’t.
‘I didn’t expect to see you again,’ Ryan said quietly, putting his arm protectively around Tommy’s shoulder. His words weren’t particularly warm, but there was a hint of regret in his tone.
‘Yeah, me neither,’ I muttered. ‘Is this… my nephew?’
The words came out before I could stop them. My heart seemed to leap into my throat, and I immediately regretted my bluntness.
Ryan froze, his eyes widening for a moment. His face became closed, hesitant, as if he didn’t want to confirm what I already knew. But in the end, he nodded.
‘Yes. It’s him.’
I exhaled sharply, the air rushing out of my lungs in a shaky stream. I stood there, trying to accept that Ryan had built a whole life without me.
‘I wish I had known,’ I said, my voice sounding strangely hollow in my own ears.
Ryan’s jaw tightened, and for a moment I thought he was going to respond defensively. But instead, he just sighed deeply and lowered his eyes to the floor.
‘I didn’t know how to tell you.’
It hit me harder than I expected. For years, I had harboured resentment over how he had disappeared without explanation, without saying goodbye. And now to hear that he had suffered too, that he hadn’t just left, as I had always thought… it hurt in a different way.
I swallowed, not knowing what to feel.
‘You just disappeared, Ryan. One day you were here, and the next day — nothing. You just…’
My voice broke, and I had to stop myself from saying something that couldn’t be taken back.
Ryan ran his hand through his hair, his face tense with pain.
‘I know. I screwed up. I know.’
He glanced at Tommy, and his features softened as he looked at his son.
‘But I had to leave. Everything was… complicated. I didn’t know how to deal with it.’
‘Yeah, of course, without saying a word,’ I muttered under my breath.
Another long, heavy silence ensued. Tommy shifted, uncomfortable with the tension between us, but too young to understand what was really going on. He looked at Ryan, then at me, his big eyes full of curiosity.
‘Will we see Uncle Ethan again?’ Tommy asked, completely unaware of the emotional time bomb he had stepped on.
Ryan and I froze, looking into each other’s eyes. And for the first time since he had walked over, Ryan smiled slightly. It was a small sign, but it was there.
‘Maybe,’ Ryan said, glancing at me. ‘Maybe we’ll try.’
I held his gaze, my chest tightening with a mixture of anger and… hope?
‘Yes,’ I replied quietly. ‘Maybe we’ll try.’