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I could still hear Mike telling me what a mistake I was making from the other side of the closed door. I took a second to process what had just happened. My mind was spinning, and I felt as though the rug had been ripped from beneath my feet. I knew the second I turned around Liam would have questions, ones I was ready to answer.

“Mum?” His voice broke the silence, and for the first time tonight, it sounded quiet and confused. To be honest, I didn’t blame him. I couldn’t.

“I’ll give you two some time.” Beck smiled at me sheepishly before heading into the living room to busy himself with something. I appreciated that. I loved the fact that he wanted to give Liam that time and let him be the one to start the conversation and not the other way around.

We ended up in Liam’s room, sitting in his reading corner, his chin practically resting on his chest.

“How long have you known?” I asked, breaking the silence.

“Since the beginning pretty much,” he whispered as he gripped my hand.

“Is that why you acted the way you did towards him?”

“Yes… I thought he didn’t want me, Mummy. I thought…” He sniffled, wiping his tears on the back of his hand.

“He wanted you. He just never knew about you.” I wrapped my arm around him, comforting my little boy.

“Because of Mike? He lied to you, Mummy. Why did he do that to us? Why did he take Daddy away from me?” His large eyes met mine as tears trickled down his cheeks.

“He wasn’t a very nice person, baby. What he did was so incredibly wrong, and you didn’t deserve that.”

“He did it to you too. You loved Beckett. I mean, Dad… You loved him so much, didn’t you?” He glanced at his desk, as if he was looking for something.

“Yes. He wasn’t just my friend. I loved him so much, Liam.” I sighed. “How did you know?”

He jumped up and rummaged in his desk drawer, pulling out a picture. “This is how.” He handed me what he was holding, and I was right, it was a photo. One of Beck and me when we were young and in love. We looked so happy together as I was wrapped in his embrace at the park one summer afternoon.

“I look just like him, and I know after Beckett it was only ever me and you.” He leaned his head on my shoulder, taking the picture from my hand and staring down at a younger version of his dad.

“You do look like him. The only thing you have from me are your eyes.”

He reached up, touching my face. “But they’re beautiful, Mummy.” He kissed my cheek as I fought back the tears. This little boy had taken all this in stride. He was incredible, and I couldn’t be more proud.

“Do you want to speak to Beckett?” I asked.

“Yeah, I do… Can you ask him to come here?”

“Of course I can. I think he’s more than ready to speak to you about everything.” I stood, leaving Liam to occupy his beanbag chair alone.

I left him looking at the picture in his hands, and after so many years, it was amazing that Liam finally knew who his dad was and knew he was loved and wanted.

As I stood at the doorway to the living room, I saw Beckett sitting on the sofa with his head in his hands, worry radiating off of him as he waited for me to come back downstairs.

“Hey.” I broke the silence as he snapped his head in my direction.

“Is he okay?” His brow furrowed. “I didn’t want him to find out that way.”

“He already knew, Beck. He knew since the beginning.” I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a mixture of emotions.

“And he’s gone along with everything we’ve said this whole time?!” He sighed. “Wait, how did he know?”

“He found a picture of us. One of the ones I kept in my drawer.”

“You kept our photos?” He pulled me towards him as his lips turned up into a soft smile.

“I couldn’t get rid of anything to do with us. I didn’t have the heart to.”

He pulled out his phone, flicking through to find a certain something before turning it around for me to see. “Me either.” Right there in front of me was an album that held all of our photos. “I couldn’t delete a single one. I couldn’t erase us.”

I finally let the tears fall. Ones he caught with his thumbs, swiping them away. “I knew that fate would bring us back together, and there were so many times I wanted to jump on a plane back to you, but I didn’t want to disrupt your life. Now I know I should have gone with my gut.”

“I wish you had too.” I rested my forehead against his, wanting to savour this moment with him. “Liam wants to talk to you.”

“He does? He doesn’t hate me?” he breathed.

“Not at all. I think he just needs to know that you had no idea about him. He wants his own answers.”

“Thank you, Em.” He cupped my cheek, his eyes remaining on mine. “Thank you for letting me be a part of his life and for letting me back into yours.”

“Go and see your son, Beck.” I kissed the palm of his hand as I removed it from my face. “I’ll give you both some space.”

He took a deep breath before leaving me standing alone in the living room. I reached for my phone on the side, dialling Harry’s number.

“Em, what happened?” He answered after half a ring. I never tended to call on Liam’s birthday. We liked our own day away from everyone.

“He knows.” I sighed, holding in the tears as my voice began to break.

“Did you tell him?”

“He knew from the beginning. He found a picture and put two and two together.” I clutched the necklace Beckett had given me, trying to calm myself down. “Mike came here, and Liam called Beck his dad, and now they’re talking upstairs.”

“That fucker!” I could feel his wrath through the phone. “He’d better hope he doesn’t run into me.”

“It’s done now. I just hope everything will be okay… But what if it’s not?” I sobbed.

“Em, that man loves you both. He’s loved you since the second he saw you and nothing will ever change that. I’m sure everything will work out the way it’s supposed to.” He reassured me, but deep down, I didn’t know how right he was.

“Yeah, I know… I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

“Alright, make sure you do.” I heard him smile before hanging up.

I was about to sit and wait on the sofa when the doorbell rang. I hoped it was dinner this time and not round two with that dickhead.