‘Mum, why didn’t you ever tell me about Steve?’ – I demanded as soon as she answered.
I put the phone on speaker so Steve could hear.
‘Why did you keep it from me?’
“Steve? What are you talking about, babe?” – She asked, trying to hide the truth.
‘Mum, please stop!’ – I rolled my eyes.
“I just met Steve on the plane.
He’s here with me.
Now please tell me everything.
I need answers.
He needs answers!”
After a few seconds of silence, Mum finally spoke.
Her voice was full of emotion as she began to explain.
‘Oh, Courtney, I’m so sorry, I’m so guilty,’ she cried.
“When we were young, Steve wanted to go to aviation school and become a pilot.
But then I got pregnant with you…and…and…and I knew that if he found out, he’d give up his dream for us…”
‘I couldn’t let him do that,’ she continued after a pause.
“So I left without telling him.
I thought it was the right thing to do, but now I realise how much it hurt us all.”
Steve’s face contorted as he listened.
‘Melissa,’ he whispered, “I…I loved you so much.
I would have done anything for you and our baby….
Why didn’t you trust me?”
“Steve? Oh, my God…” – Mum aghast.
“I…I thought I was protecting you.
I got scared.
I’m sorry, Steve.
I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
My head was spinning.
All these years my mum had lied to me about my father’s fate, and now here he was, a complete stranger pouring out his soul to both of us.
I couldn’t fathom it.
‘Mum, this…this is…this is too hard to take,’ I muttered.
‘I’m already late for an important investor meeting…I don’t know how to get to LA now.’
Steve’s eyes widened when I mentioned investors.
“You’re going to LA?
What’s the meeting about?”
I quickly gave Steve the details.
I explained that I had to present a major project to secure a promotion at work.
I saw his facial expression change as he learnt all about the company and the investors.
‘Well, then we can’t let you miss this meeting,’ he stated.
‘Because I know these investors well, Courtney.’
‘What, how?’ I asked.
‘I used to pilot their private jet a few years ago, and they’ve been very good to me,’ Steve told me, pulling out his phone.
‘Let me make some calls and I’ll set you up with a meeting with them today.’
As promised, he sprang into action, making a series of silent calls.
An hour later, I was already in a swanky conference room.
I couldn’t believe it.
The best part was that the meeting went better than I could have imagined.
The investors were impressed and agreed to fund my project.
In addition, I received a call from my boss and he offered me the promotion I was hoping for.
I was over the moon!
As I was leaving the auditorium, I saw Steve waiting for me with open arms.
‘You did it!’ – he exclaimed, hugging me tightly.
‘I’m proud of you, Courtney.’
I felt a lump in my throat as I hugged him back.
This man I had never known was now an integral part of my life, and somehow it felt right.
All those years of feeling like something was missing had brought me to this moment, and I couldn’t help but wonder what else the future held.
The following week, Steve came to our house to meet my mum.
It was an emotional meeting, full of tears, laughter and a sense of wholeness that we had all been searching for for so long.
That day I realised what it meant to have a complete family.
As I lay in bed that night, I couldn’t stop thinking about the amazing turn of events.
Who would have thought that a routine flight to Los Angeles would lead me to discovering my long-lost father?
It was a twist usually only found in films.
But here I am, living it.
Although it was overwhelming, I couldn’t help but feel grateful and excited for what the future had to offer me.