A Life Debt Repaid novel (John and Cordy) novel Chapter 626

Lucas was speechless. How could he explain to Richard that he was not his daddy?

"Have some warm milk, Daddy. It will warm your stomach," the boy said then, eagerly passing his own glass of milk to Lucas.

Lucas was unable to reject the child's kind gesture. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Daddy," Richard replied, flashing a tame smile just then.

It somehow left Lucas with a mental burden, as if it would traumatize the child if he turned out not to be his father.

But he really was not.

Taking a sip of warm milk, he ruthlessly reminded Richard, "I'll be gone after breakfast."

"Okay." Richard nodded tamely.

"We probably won't see each other ever again," Lucas said, making himself very clear to stop Richard from having any expectations.

"Why?"

"Because I'm not your daddy," Lucas said, slowly and deliberately.

As Richard's expression darkened, Lucas steeled himself to continue, "I understand very well how you feel, and I understand that you miss your daddy—but I'm not him, and I can't love you like he did."

"I don't need you to love me. I'll love you and that's enough."

"Dicky…"

"Daddy?"

"Take care of your mommy," Lucas advised in a heartfelt manner. "Without your daddy, you and your mommy only have each other now. You're a young man, and you should take responsibility for caring for your mommy, so you should pay her more attention instead of some ungrounded fantasy."

"Is there something you can't tell us? Is that why you can't acknowledge mommy and me?"