The wake up call - Short story- Chapter ten

                                 

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It felt very awkward sitting at the table. Joseph introduced the two to his wife, and they started chatting in general about Jesse's cooking skills. It was a strange conversation to have, and all Jesse could see was her father sitting right in front of her. 

She stuttered a bit, but Jennifer told her not to be nervous. They ordered drinks and both Jesse and Peter swallowed their drinks quickly and ordered another. They were so nervous and Peter put his hand on Jesse's leg to calm her down. 

Joseph Berkley was as puzzled as they were. He had his suspicions about the two, but he wasn't sure. Now that he was older, it started to become lonely and the fact that he and Jennifer never had kids, did not make it easier. 

Joseph Berkley had built a legacy, and he was always trying to do good to others. He had all the money in the world, but it was only money, and he has helped many people achieve their dreams. He was a good person overall, and now that he was becoming older, an investment in a hospital seemed to be the next step. 

He asked his lawyer Julia to do research, and she tracked down the best ER doctor in the city. It was strange when she found a person with the same surname as him, but he didn't make much of it. It seemed to be a good cause, and he preferred to stay anonymous as always, but now things looked a bit different. Now that he had actually met Peter, he had no other choice but to tell him the truth, but he suspected that Peter already knew.  It was absolute fate that brought them to this restaurant, and it was like looking into a mirror.  He instantly knew that Peter was his grandson. 

Peter was staring at Joseph curiously, while Jennifer was chatting away and on her own mission. Jesse seemed more at ease now and was telling Jennifer in detail about her life. Joseph sipped on his whiskey, but he did not hear a word that Jennifer was saying. He was thinking too far back, and if his calculations were correct, then Peter and Jesse, could definitely be his grandchildren. 

Joseph took another sip of his whiskey, and his thoughts lead him far back to when he was a young man. They were so young and so in love, and he fell for Ellen head over heals. They went to school together, but she was two years younger than he was. 

He was a mere eighteen years old when she told him that she was pregnant, and although he was willing to marry her immediately, her parents refused and sent her away. Her father refused them to see each other again, and he had to make peace with it. Things were different in those days, and he never heard anything from Ellen or had any news about the baby ever again. He had tried for many years to find her again, but the last news he received left him devastated. She had died in an accident, and the only thing he could find out about the baby, was that it was a boy and he was adopted by good family. 

He did not have the money back then to hire a private investigator, and in time he made peace with it. He knew his son was with a good family and he couldn't imagine taking a child away from his parents, even when he and Jennifer struggled for years to have kids. It was not meant to be. 

It still made him sad till this day just to think about Ellen, but he loved Jennifer, and they had been married for many years now. He dedicated all his love to his wife,  and to all the people he helped in so many ways. 

Peter couldn't hold it in anymore. Jennifer was still babbling on and Jesse now seemed to be intrigued by her. Peter moved to a chair closer to Joseph and Joseph seemed a bit startled. 

"Mr Berkley....I couldn't help but notice.....there is a very strong resemblance between you and my father. Are we related in any way?" 

Joseph Berkley was totally stunned. He didn't realize that Peter was also suspicious, but he nodded. 

"It could be son, it could just be. Let's go outside." Joseph told Jennifer that they were going outside for a breath of fresh air, and Peter followed him outside. 

Joseph Berkley was shaking by the time he got outside. There was now no doubt in his mind that they might be related. They took a seat on the patio outside the restaurant and he lit up a cigar. He took a deep breath and then started to tell Peter the whole story. He believed in fate, and if this was meant to be, then fate had brought them to this restaurant today. 

There were actual tears in his eyes when Joseph stopped talking and Peter was amazed by his story. He felt much more relaxed now, and then he told Joseph all about his father. Joseph shed some more tears when Peter told him that his father had died in a car accident, but it was too late for tears now. They were both now more sure than ever that they were related and Peter offered to do a DNA test at the hospital to confirm. Joseph agreed, but told Peter not to say anything yet to Jennifer. He wanted to prepare her for this. She knew that he had a baby earlier in his life, and even helped him search, but at some point they both stopped looking. 

Joseph gave Peter his home address and invited them for dinner the following evening. Peter would do the DNA swab there, and they would have the results the following day. 

They went back inside. Jennifer was ready to go home, and they greeted each other. Joseph told Jennifer that he invited them for dinner the following evening and Jesse and Peter walked them out. Peter was anxious to tell Jesse the whole story and when they finally sat down to eat in the kitchen, he told her. 

She was just as amazed as he was, and arranged to have the following day off. If Joseph Berkley was indeed their grandfather she didn't want to miss this for the world. 

Peter left an hour later.  He picked up Julia just before six, and decided not to tell her anything until he was totally certain. They had an amazing time and when Peter drove home he felt like the happiest man on earth. This had been the greatest week of his life. In one week he got the offer of a lifetime, the woman of his dreams, and now perhaps he might have met his grandfather for the first time. Jesse was waiting up for him, and made him some hot chocolate like when they were little. They chatted for a while before going to bed. They had a long night and they were both anxious about the results of the test. 

Jesse lay in bed thinking about her father and she just couldn't stop thinking about Joseph Berkley. Wouldn't it just be wonderful if everything worked out perfectly?

 -To be Continued-

                

                          

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