Free If Only We Knew by Ancelli

teen
     
    “Dad,” Matt said, getting up from the chair next to Shannon's bed. He walked over to his father and hugged him.
    He hugged him back. “Where’s my grandson?”
    Matt move d to the bed. “Here he is.” His father followed.
    Shannon turned him over so his grandfather could see him. “Hi, Mr. Johnston. Meet your grandson, Matthew.”
    He bent down and kissed her cheek. “May I?”
    “Of course.” She handed him over .
    He took the baby in his arms and began rocking him. “I don’t care how he got here. I will not judge either of you. I’m a grandfather, even if you gave me short notice,” he said, looking at both of them. “He has the Johnston stamp. Look at those big green eyes! You can’t ever deny he’s your son.”
    “I would never, Dad.”
    “I know, I didn’t raise you like that,” he said, gazing at the baby and then watching his son . “I have a grandson. My son is a father.”
    “I still can’t believe it myself.” Matt glanced at Shannon.
    “Sorry I can’t stay longer. I have a meeting.” He kissed Matthew and gave him back to Shannon. “When will you be leaving?”
    “We leave tomorrow. Two days in here was long enough,” she said, taking the baby.
    “Can I come by and visit my grandson?”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “Thank you.” He hugged her. “Matt, can I talk to you for a second ? Shannon, I’ll call you to see when I can come by.”
    “Okay.”
    The two men stepped outside to talk.
    “Matt, did you talk to your wife?” His dad looked at him.
    “Dad, I tried. She wants me to walk away from him,” he said, placing his hands into his pockets.
    “You need to put yourself in her shoes, son. Give her some time to let everything sink in. She just found out a few months ago she can’t have kids, and now you have one. Shannon gave you the one thing Karen will never be able to.”
    “So you’re trying to tell me to abandon my son?”
    “I would never tell you that. I raised you to take care of your responsibilities; it’s not the baby’s fault you screwed up. He is the only innocent person in this mess. She’s just mad at you right now. She’s not thinking straight. If you did what she asked you to, then you’re not the man she thought you were. I have to leave, but we’ll talk more. He is precious. By the way, your mother called me and asked me if it’s true you’d made her a grandmother. Why haven’t you called her?”
    “She’s never really been a mother to me. She might have given birth to me, but that’s all. You’re the only parent I have.”
    “Son, she is still your mother. Call her.” He hugged him. “I love you, son.”
    “Me too.”
    Matt walked back into the room. Shannon was up, putting the baby in the Isolette. “Why didn’t you wait until I came back?”
    “I’m not impaired. I can do things for myself. I’ll be going home tomorrow, and it will be him and me.” He could tell she was in a little bit of discomfort, by the way she gripped the sheets as she leaned on the bed.
    “I know you can do things by yourself, but you just had a baby.” He stared at her.
    “A lot of women have babies every day. I’m fine.”
    “Did I do something to you? I’ve tried to be understanding, under the circumstances.”
    She couldn’t look him in his eyes. “Sherry is going to pick us up tomorrow morning. You don’t have to come by.”
    “But I wanted to take you guys home.” He moved closer to her.
    “I don’t need you to. Please just go home and work things out with your wife. You can call me when you want to come see him.”
    “I know you don’t need me to, but I want to. What’s wrong? Where did this change in attitude come from?” He touched her hand.
    She pulled her hand away. “Please leave.”
    “Shannon.” He said confused. What happened to make her act like this?
    “Matt, I will never keep him away from you, now that you know….”
    “I don’t know what happened from the time I stepped out of this room and came back in, but