Twin Image: Family, Before Anything

Chapter 33

~December 4th, Monday~

~Alexander's POV~

I shake my step-son's father's hand, "Alexander Monsay, husband." I introduce myself, gesturing to my wife so it's clear who's husband I am. "Nice to meet you Alexander, and please everyone, call me Josh." He says, greeting Nat and Tobias next. And I watched as he meet everyone. Miles, Liam, Lauren, Grace, Teresa, and even Tris and Donnie. And so far, it's pretty damn obvious he's the father of my step-son. 

The way he acts, the way he talks, even the way he looks. It all reminds me of Zachary. Speaking of which, I remember where he told me he was going to be today, and I head for the door. "Babe, where are you going?" Nessa asks me, "To go get my step-son of course." I tell her, loud and clear. And she smiles while Josh, on the other hand, frowns when I call him my step-son. 

But of course, I don't give a shit, because that's exactly what he is. My step-son. He's seventeen, and since the moment I met him, we've bonded. He told me himself, I'm the closet thing he's had to a father, and I'm not about to let that change. 

***

"My... my dad's here?" He asks me, and I nod. "He's back at Nat and Tobias's right now. Your mom was pretty excited to see him." I tell him, and he raises his eyebrows, "Were you?" He asks me with a small laugh, and I give him that 'really?' look, making him laugh more. His daughter crawls up onto my lap, and plays with my blue bracelet. The one Nat got me, "Well, if you're worried he's gonna automatically replace you as if DNA is the only thing that matters, then rest assured. You're too cool and funny to be replaced. And anyways," He says, warming my heart. "My mom was excited to see him? I'm thinking you should be more concerned about her, given my grandparents tore my parents apart after they found out about me back then. It wasn't no break-up or nothing." He lets me in on, and I raise my eyebrows, "Wait so, they just never saw each other again? No closure, no nothing?" I ask, and Zach shakes his head. 

"Nope, I ask my grandparents what they did and they told me, after I was born, Vanessa wasn't allowed out the house much back on Amity." He tells me, and that immediately worries me a little. That's my wife's first love, no matter if it's been nearly decades, she could still have and or re-develop feelings for him. I know I've said once before that Natalie was my first love but, that's honestly just not true anymore. I fell in love with Nat from afar but Vanessa, I fell in love with her up close. I actually, talked to her, and became infatuated with everything about her. 

She's my real first love. And now that I've realized that, I've become very possesive, jealous, and stingy with my wife in attempts to make up for the way I've treated her for years. And so far, she's loving every bit of it. But my question is, will she keep loving it? Because I have absolutely no other woman on my mind, then her. Not my first girlfriend, not Tris, not even Natalie. And to find out she's never had closure with this man, and see my wife hug him like she hugs me, put something new into my heart. Determination. 

*** 

"You ready?" I ask Zach, standing right outside the door to Nat and Tobias' apartment, holding my step-granddaughter in one arm. He lets out a shaky breath, and cracks his neck, before nodding. "Let's get this over with." He says, reminding me of myself minutes before I stepped into a room with my father for the first time. I slide in the key and unlock the door, stepping in and holding the door for him. And the first thing I see, is my wife, sitting right next to him, talking to him. One on one in the dining room. While the rest of my family was in the living room. I walk over there with him and his daughter, and my wife finally notices us. 

~Zachary's POV~

I spot the man that's apparently my father, and just by looking at him, I could tell. I look nearly just like him, "Honey come here.." My mother says to me standing, and I stand next to her just as my father lays his eyes on me. "Oh my god.." He mutters, taking in my appearance. "Zachary, this is your father, Joshua Murphy. Josh, this, is our son Zachary." My mother introduces, and I shake my father's hand. "It's nice to finally meet you Zach, I've been waiting for this day for fifteen years and, I have to say, I now wish I found you and your mom sooner. You look like a fine young man." He greets and compliments, "Thank you. And I wish I could say you have her to thank for that but, I've just barely found her myself." I decide to say, making my mother smile.