Jason knelt beside the pool, not caring that his expensive suit dipped into the water.
“You… you did this,” he whispered.
Ethan grinned proudly. “Uh-huh.”
Jason looked at Maria—young, gentle, her maid uniform soaked at the hem from kneeling too close to the water. But her eyes held something far deeper than professionalism.
Love. Devotion. Belief.
“Mr. Blake,” she murmured, “I didn’t mean to hide anything. He wanted to surprise you.”
Jason swallowed hard. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because,” she said softly, “you needed to see it with your own eyes.”
He looked down at his son again—his miracle. His little warrior. The child he’d secretly feared he was failing.
“Come here, buddy,” Jason whispered.
Ethan reached out. One crutch slipped, but Jason caught him, pulling the boy against his chest. Ethan’s wet little hands curled into his shirt, and Jason felt something break open inside him—guilt, love, regret, hope—all tangled together.
