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"What I’ to tell you, Mack, is that I love you You’re my son My only son I knoe’ve had our differences over the years, and I blaave you the impression that you were a disappointment to me You weren’t And you aren’t I expected you to live up to what I felt was your potential--not that it was ht to deter, you followed your own path That took grit and character" He paused and looked away "I’m proud to call you my son"
Mack stared at him hard, as if he wasn’t sure what to say
Roy stood, extending his hand Mack met hi By the tiain, his eyes were moist, and he saw that Mack’s were, too
Corrie didn’t pretend to hide her own tears, which streamed down her face unchecked "There’s…lanced at Roy, who nodded
"There’s so his hands "It isn’t easy to say this"
Mack leapt to his feet "You’ve got cancer!"
When Roy shook his head, Mack subsided into his chair but still looked apprehensive
"Youto do hy you asked ?" he asked
"No, but what I’m about to tell you will come as a shock" And he launched into the whole story
Their news did astound Mack He held up his hand and stopped Roy halfway through "You e?"
Roy nodded
"He didn’t know," Corrie explained hurriedly "I never told hi to let Corrie take all the responsibility for this "And that was my fault But it doesn’t iven up for adoption"
"Wait" Once again Mack was on his feet He clutched his head with both hands, as if to hold all his thoughts inside "She’s the one who’s been sending you those postcards?"
"We believe so," Corrie said quietly
"Another sister?"
"Yes"
"I have two older sisters," he whispered, obviously finding this hard to take in "Does Linnette know?"
"Not yet"
Mack continued to gaze at the her?"
The relief Roy felt at revealing this part of his past with Mack made him want to finish what they’d started "Let’s do it now," he suggested
"I’ll phone Linnette," Corrie said, sharing his eagerness
While she was in the kitchen, Roy and Mack sat in the living roo so in the Oly myself," Roy said, and then added tentatively, "perhaps one weekend the two of us could do a day hike There are sorinned "I’d like that"
Corrie returned froeht away, she’s got half an hour"
They piled into Roy’s car and he drove to the aparthter ed relationship between Roy and Mack iathered in her living roo on?"
"Prepare to be surprised," Mack said, exchanging a grin with Roy "You’d better sit down"
"Itfrom one to the other with a puzzled frown
"It’s wonderful news," Mack said
Linnette spread her hands wide "Then tellthe same way as her brother, Linnette was instantly on her feet "What?"
Slowly, refusing to omit any detail, Corrie and Roy told their story for the second ti
Linnette sat dumbfounded, hardly able to ask questions "I have a sister?" she repeated "We have a sister?"
"I wanted to tell you," Corrie said "A dozen times, at least, I tried But you always see on in your own life and I didn’t want to burden you with h this alone You were so young…"
That sufficiently elevated Roy’s guilt When Corrie answered their daughter, she didn’t bla a time it had been