If only the man had hung up on him. Told him to get fucked. Denied his existence, or denied him. It would have been easy to write him off if he'd given Elijah a reason.

Instead, he was genuine. Sad. Hopeful. So many things Elijah couldn't ignore or walk away from. The love Daniel shared with his mother all those years ago was clear in his shaky, quiet voice. His mother had never mentioned a love prior to Harrison, but Elijah didn't doubt for a second she'd lived with the regret of leaving him there waiting for him.

With that sort of love, the love he felt for Madeline, he would have given her a life full of joy and kindness. It wouldn't have saved his mother from getting cancer, but it may have given her the will to fight it. And if she'd still lost that battle, she could have died in peace knowing Elijah would be cared for. But that wasn't how she lived, and that wasn't how he died. All because he got a fever at three months old.

His mother wouldn't want him playing the blame game, so he wouldn't, no matter how tempting it was. Like Daniel said, it wasn't all regret. As much as Elijah loathed the man he thought was his father, he never laid a hand on his mom as far as he saw, and if they'd never met, he never would have moved next door to the Martin's, and Daniel never would have had his children.

When Elijah's phone vibrated in his pocket, he glanced into the room where Madeline remained sound asleep, as she had been for the last nine hours. So Elijah went and sat at on the bottom step, took out his phone, and opened the message.

Daniel: I'm sure you need some time to adjust to this, and I respect that, but I'd like to meet you. Whenever you're ready.

Daniel: I can buy you a plane ticket so you can meet my children, if you'd like. I have three.

Daniel: Scratch that. Apparently, I have four.

It wasn't particularly funny, but Elijah laughed anyhow. Hell, maybe he was just that tired, where just about anything was funny. Sleep hadn't so much as tempted him all night, but once he hung up that phone, everything just sort of caught up to him.

Elijah: I can't travel anytime soon. Not for another six months, at least.

Daniel: I can come to you. Just think about it.

Elijah: A part of me wishes you'd been a dick.

Daniel: I'm sorry to disappoint. How about this? If we meet, I'll take away your game console, and ground you.

Elijah laughed again, then went to typing.

Elijah: Not a gamer. Sorry.

Daniel: What are your hobbies?

It was a damn smooth transition, and Elijah couldn't help but admire how well he'd pulled that off. But again, he could just be that tired.

Elijah: I'm a boxer. Hobby, not a career. Painting, sketches... whatever can keep my mind busy, really.

Daniel: So, what is your career?

It surprised Elijah how receptive he was to this. Talking to him, hearing his voice, him having to say some things aloud... it was fucking painful. Though the texts were getting personal, it felt like a less personal approach, which made it easier.

Elijah: I worked at a drug and alcohol rehab clinic until last week. I had to take a leave of absence for personal reasons.

Daniel: A noble profession.

Elijah: I used to be a patient in one. Just a heads up.

He expected his phone to stop buzzing, but it didn't. Daniel didn't miss a beat.

Daniel: You get that from my side of the family, I'm afraid. I quit drinking nine years ago, after my wife left me. My father was an alcoholic, and my mom took every pill known to man. So, if nothing else, at least we have one thing in common.

Daniel: I never look down on someone for bettering their lives, Elijah, and I don't look down on them for their struggles. If that was a last ditch effort to get me to not want to meet you, it didn't work.

Maybe he was right. Maybe that's what Elijah had been attempting to do, just so he wouldn't have to want this person in his life.

Elijah: When?

Finally, the pause Elijah had expected before. But it didn't last for long.

Daniel: Depends. Where's my destination?

Elijah read the words, then read them again, then shoved the phone in his pocket and went back up the stairs. He ignored the vibration against his thigh and went into the bedroom he shared with Madeline. Elijah sat on the bed and shook her awake.

Madeline let out a few soft groans. Her eyelids scrunched and eventually fluttered open. She'd been so tired the night before, she'd forgotten to tie her hair back, causing her curls to become a static mess across the pillow. "Hey," Madeline mumbled, then closed her eyes once again.

"I talked to my dad."

Her brown eyes shot open once again, her lips parting as she stared at him and took in the words. "And?"

"And, he's a nice guy," Elijah admitted before he laid down next to her, sleep already tempting him. He should have taken his medication to help him fall asleep when Madeline had gone to bed. Now he was more or less forced to remain a wake, seeing as Maddie couldn't go anywhere, including the bathroom, without him. "He wants to meet me."

"I mean, if he didn't, he couldn't really be called a nice guy," Madeline pointed out to him. "Do you want to meet him?"

Elijah let out a long breath and stretched against the sheets. "I don't want to want to meet him." He hoped that made sense, and when Madeline didn't appear in the least bit confused, Elijah continued. "Apparently he named me, without ever knowing I existed. That's how he knew I was his son. He loved her, M&M. Like, really loved her.

"The way he was talking, it's that same love you and I have. Eventually, he moved on and had a family, but never forgot about the woman he met thirty-five years ago. When he was talking, it felt like he was talking about the two of us, and it got me."

Madeline's fingertips trailed up and down the bare skin of his arms, causing Elijah's eyes to flutter closed. "I know you can't tell people how to feel, but there's nothing to be scared of. Nervous, sure, but not scared. He lives in Oregon, which means you can do this at your own pace. The hardest part is ripping off the band-aid.

"What I can tell you is that you already have that strength in you now. You met your grandfather, your uncle, your cousins, and so many other people I still haven't quite figured out the connection to. Piggyback off that strength while it's still there."

Though the situations were hardly the same, it was a hell of a lot easier being around them yesterday than he thought it would be. His grandmother's sister had been pushy, but she could barely see anymore, so it took little effort to avoid her.

"I can hear it in his voice, feel it in choice of words. He gives a shit, and I don't know what to do with that," Elijah admitted, wiping the exhausting from his face. Another buzz went off in his pocket that he ignored. "I have your dad, and that should feel like enough for me, so why doesn't it?"

Madeline's hand paused against his skin, then went up to his and tipped his face toward her. "My dad wants this for you, Elijah. It doesn't feel like enough because the man you thought was your blood never showed you an ounce of affection or worth. He never even did the bare minimum of what a parent should do for their child. He was a waste of air, and wanted you to feel that about yourself, but he failed.

"You are so loved, Elijah. With or without this man, you are loved. Even when I didn't want to love you anymore, I couldn't help it. I pretended to move on, tried to build a life without you in it, but you never gave me back my heart so I could give it to someone else.

"Your father wasn't your blood. This man is. My dad will always be your dad, but if you can replace Harrison's hate with love, you've won."

The words were so similar to the day he'd arrived at Madeline's house, only hours before everything took a dark, sour turn. She was right then, and she was right now. So he took his phone out of his pocket.

Daniel: If you need time, I can accept that.

Daniel: I'm sorry if I scared you away.

Elijah: 1176 Peach Tree Lane, Fairbury, Illinois.

If he was going to meet this man, it wouldn't be in their city. It would be close to his mother's spirit.

Daniel: I'll be there on Wednesday.