Page 287 of The Valiant Knight

“I nearly died in a rip current because I was too stubborn to listen to everyone. I believed that I’d been on my own, so I could handleANYTHING. I, in fact, could not. I went under, and Elizabeth had to save me.”

He let Tony hold him as he shared this with him. He wasn’t sure where it was going, but it was clearly going somewhere.

“Elizabeth and her father, Charlie, got me to shore, and saved me. After, he was so angry with me. I thought erroneously that it was because I’d risked his daughter’s life being an idiot.”

“That wasn’t the reason?” he asked.

Tony laughed.

“No, it was because he was frustrated with watching me trying toYEETmyself off the earth with stupid stunts, random acts of cavalier behavior, and choices that were incredibly dangerous. What he was really angry about was that he’d nearly lost me. He told me in that moment that he loved me, and that he chose me. He told me I was his son, and from that day on, he wanted me to love myself as much as he loved me.”

Graham said nothing.

“Son, I love you, and I need you to make better choices, so I don’t lose you. The heart loves who it loves, Graham, and from this day forward, you’re mine. You’re part of my family.”

His heart skipped as he stared at Tony.

“Why?” he finally asked.

“Because family isn’t blood. It’s who you pick, and while your parents didn’t pick you, I’m picking you. You’re mine now, and that means you’re not alone in the world.”

He hugged Tony.

“And I love you for you, Graham. I want you to be part of my family. Jaxon and I want you to come stay with us for the holidays, and come meet our children. They are your family too.”

That kind of love and compassion was so foreign to Graham that he didn’t know what to say.

He could only think of one thing.

“Thank you for this.”

He took his face in his hands, and stared into his eyes.

“You deserve to be loved, and you are. If you hurt yourself, or you die, I’ll be crushed. This Christmas, we’ll be here for the wedding, but every other Christmas, I want you to come home. Any holiday, you come home, and we’ll have your room ready.”

It made him smile.

“Thank you.”

Tony being Tony went there.

“I mean, I could be your father. I was a ladies’ man when I was sixteen.”

It made him laugh.

How could it not?

Graham wiped his eyes for the last time, and now, he had hope.

“Can I really come home for the holidays?”

Tony nodded.

Pulling out his phone, he texted his wife. It was morning in DC, but he wanted to prove to this man that he wasn’t alone in the world.

Then, he sent a text.

‘Jaxy, Graham is going to be part of our family, and my son. Can he come home for all the holidays?’