A month later spring was signaling its arrival, it had been a wet winter and the April showers were making themselves known. They didn't stop Danny and Liam from walking to school a few times a week. They would accept a ride if it was really pouring but otherwise they preferred walking and chatting with the friends they met on the way. It wasn't a long walk and one April afternoon they walked home with Calvin. Brian had been out for a Dentist appointment.
Calvin had been his usual cheery, bubbly self which endeared him to Liam and Danny. Calvin split off when they reached his turn and it took very little time to reach home.
"Danny sweetheart, I have a surprise for you," Terri informed him.
"Really?! That's cool what is it?" Danny inquired.
"It's not a what, it's a who and it's your birth father's uncle, he'd really like to meet you. I've spoken to him and I think it's best if I let him explain what has happened to bring this about, will you meet him?" Terri asked nervously.
His mother was asking him, not telling and that made him feel that she really felt it was a good thing to do.
"Sure Mom, if you think it's a good idea, I'll do it," Danny agreed.
"I think you'll be surprised when you talk to him. Just keep an open mind, okay?"
"I will Mom, if you say it's good I believe you."
When the driveway alert chimed, Liam was at the door ready to great the visitor. He called for Danny to join him.
Liam opened the door and found a man of about sixty dressed extremely well in a European style suit. He was fit and quite handsome and Liam saw a bit of his Danny in the man's eyes.
"How do you do, I'm James McCann, you must be Daniel," he said, extending his hand to Danny.
Danny shook the man's hand and said, "This is my brother Liam."
The man smiled at Liam, shook his hand and greeted him. Terri appeared and directed everyone to the living room.
"Daniel, I am your great-uncle and I knew your father when he was a boy. Sadly, my sister, your grandmother and I fell out. I went to live in Europe with my partner and I've been out of touch with the family. I didn't even know of your father's death or of you until I returned for my sister's funeral," James paused.
"I want you to know that I think her behavior regarding my nephew, your mother and you was reprehensible. You should have been welcomed into the family without reservation. I apologize for the actions of my sister and her other offspring. My nieces have the same outlook on life as my sister did and they locked you out of your birthright. That was both wrong and illegal. As the lone primary survivor of the original trust provided by my parents I will rectify the situation with regard to your rights to inherit," James shared at length.
"I don't understand, inherit what?" Daniel quizzed.
"Well, for instance the family home on the coast in Pacific Palisades for one and a not inconsiderable financial portfolio. Your cousins are entitled to live on the estate as long as they wish. Once they move away, they cannot return. They receive a modest stipend but the estate is maintained by the trust. You can insist that they reside in one of the smaller cottages on the estate if you like. But you can make those decisions once you've had time to absorb all this new information. In fact, I will probably have to make those decisions because I am the primary recipient at the moment. When you are ready, I will cede that responsibility to you."
James continued, "As I said, I live and work in Europe so I will let that situation take care of itself; meaning that they will probably not live a long time, they are both in poor health and really don't do anything to help themselves. I've never really cared for the place except for the view of the Pacific. It's entirely too ornate for my taste. But don't let me put you off, you may find it quite charming."
"Whoa, that's a lot to get my head around sir, I'm kind of stunned," Danny informed him.
"Please call me James or Uncle James, my true hope and desire is that you and your mother understand that my sister did not speak for the entire family. You have many relatives that would be pleased to welcome you as kin," James effused.
"Just like that?" Danny asked.
"As far as the family goes, yes, the trust is a bit more hardnosed and will require a DNA paternity test but I can tell that you are Daniel's son just by looking," James smiled broadly.
Danny smiled sweetly, "So you really knew my father?"
"Oh yes, very well. I think I was the only man who had time for him and he was a great boy and became a fine man. I think he'd be impressed by you. Your mom tells me you're quite a musician and have several other talents also," James replied.
"Liam and I are both interested in music, but we have other interests that don't really cross over," Danny volunteered.
"I'd be surprised if it was any other way, and with the two of you being closer than brothers you need separate interests. Graham and I pursue many things that aren't shared interests."
"Graham?" Danny asked.
"Yes, my partner, we've been together for thirty-five years. It's one of the things that caused my sister and me to part ways," James explained.
"Did you know Liam and I are gay too, and that we're in love?" Danny asked.
"Only recently have I learned that, but then I didn't even know you existed or I would have made contact long before this. I have to take some of the blame, I did try to stay in touch with Daniel but he stopped responding to my letters and then his email account started bouncing things back. It never occurred to me that he was gone from the world. I was heartbroken when I learned of this a few weeks ago. My attorney found out about you and your mother and here I am," James related.
"Where in Europe do you live, if you don't mind me asking," Liam queried.
"We have several places, two in England, one in France, another in Austria and one in Switzerland. We spend most of our time in the Cotswolds in the north end of Staffordshire," James replied matter-of-factly.
"Whoa, why so many?" Danny asked in awe.
"Our place in the Cotswolds is Graham's ancestral home, we keep a flat in Kensington for when we have to be in town. The house in France is attached to our winery and vineyards. Switzerland for access to skiing and financial things and Austria was a whim of mine because of the beautiful countryside. Salzburg is a very pretty town, it is the home of Mozart and from there we can go anywhere in central or Eastern Europe. Next month we'll be checking on things in the Czech Republic, it's really nice there in spring," James went on. Perhaps you could visit and see what I mean, you could bring your family and make a summer of it," James suggested.
"That would be cool, we'd have to talk it over with Mom and Da. But I'm curious, why didn't the trust contact you about my father?" Danny prodded.
"For quite a while they didn't know where I was, I wasn't drawing on the trust because I had my own money. I did quite well in the currency markets and moved on to bigger things. I won't bore you with details but securities can be very lucrative if you keep your wits about you. By the time I checked in with them I had been forgotten, the original trust attorney had retired and the new one had only dealt with my sister and her daughters and he knew nothing about your father."
"His file had been mysteriously misplaced along with the paperwork he had completed regarding your mother. I suspect that some jiggery pokery was afoot but it would be hard to prove at this point. None of the staff from that time are still present and most are deceased. However, you will be receiving a call from H.E. Llowe and Asssociates and they will put the wheels in motion to process your claims on the trust. You will receive everything you've been due for the last twelve-plus years. It's a sizable amount and I have a recommendation for a financial manager who is reliable and trustworthy. Her firm handles all my U.S. investments and assets."
Danny had a dazed look on his face, he looked to Liam and then Terri, "I don't know what to say… is this for real?"
Perhaps I should have been a bit more careful in how I told you but I'm so overjoyed at finding you that I couldn't restrain myself. I know it's a shock Daniel, I've spoken with your mother and I know how you had to live while my sister and her greedy progeny lived in luxury. I'm almost afraid to tell you that there is also the McCann-Firestone trust that you can draw on in addition. You could live your entire life on the French riviera on what they disperse to those who draw on it. And it would be a life of extreme comfort. Your mother is also entitled to draw against the McCann trust since Daniel set that up prior to his death. I'm sorry it's so late in coming. I hope it's good news," James concluded.
"I think so, it's just such a shock James, I guess my college tuition is covered then and Liam's too, although his is already covered. We can talk about how that happened later. I'm just stunned," Danny uttered.
"Mam, did you know about Danny's Da when you, um… when he was alive?" Liam wondered.
"Not really, he said he was financially secure and that we would want for nothing. He never explained his family or background, that didn't come out until after he died. I'm afraid your grandmother thought I was trying to pull something. I wasn't even allowed to attend the funeral. At the time, I didn't need money, I had a career and a home until my father showed up and ruined that. When he died, they came after me for his debts."
"I received bad advice from an attorney and ended up bankrupt and they still came after me. It left me in a deep hole with a newborn child. I finally received some help from a non-profit legal team and they got the debt canceled but I never got anything back from those leeches that were chasing me for his debts. It would have cost more than they owed me to wring it out of them. It was an expensive education to say the least; I was still on the hook for his medical bills. But things did turn around when you met Danny didn't they, Honey?" Terri smiled.
Liam nodded and smiled. "They sure did, Mom. First, that crooked lawyer paid you and then Liam showed me what Grampa's guitar was really worth. That led to meeting Dad and now look at us. When is Da coming home anyway, didn't he know James was coming here?"
He said he was headed home half an hour ago, I'll check and see if he stopped off somewhere. But Connor's little Simca triggered the driveway chime and answered Danny's question.
"Ah hello, you must be James McCann, nice to meet you," Connor greeted James.
James rose and shook Connor's hand, affirming his identity.
"Nice to finally meet you too, Connor. You have a lovely family," James praised.
"All I could ever want and more," Connor replied as he kissed Terri and then the boys.
"Connor, may I speak with you privately, it's unrelated to my business with my nephew," James requested.
"Certainly, let's have a seat in my study and chat," Connor offered.
"I received a visit from a couple of men with rather scary credentials recently, they wanted to know what my interest was in you and your family. It was very much as if you were out of bounds," James explained once they were seated.
"Ah yes, you see I'm a government contractor to the DoD and when someone starts poking about with one of us they get a bit stroppy. I've already explained what it was in aid of and they shouldn't bother you further," Connor informed James.
"Oh, I see. I won't ask what it is you do for them, I know you own an R&D company and you're not doing badly at all," James allowed.
"Well, most of our clients do request that we keep their confidence, Apple and SpaceX being the exceptions. They just want their research kept under wraps. But you can see it's a security conscious environment," Connor informed James.
"Well, I've had dealings with MI-6 through my own holdings, it's quite disconcerting the way they seem to look right through you, isn't it?"
"Yes, I think they're specially trained to do that," Connor chuckled.
"I hope I haven't overstepped with Daniel, he's obviously a happy child, was that always so?" inquired James.
"Yes and no, he had a tough life early on. They were just above the poverty level and very little for extras." Connor shared, "It's still hard to get him to admit he wants something. It's getting better though, he recently asked for piano lessons. So now, his ability at the keyboard is growing exponentially. We're enjoying watching him blossom."
"That's wonderful, I can see that you care deeply for him and he feels the same about you. Am I correct in believing you and Terri are expecting another child?" James asked.
"Yes, that's correct. We've a few months to go but all looks well at the moment. That's something Danny asked for specifically," Connor chortled.
"Really, how sweet. He actually requested a baby?" James asked.
"Well, he was half asleep and he asked for a baby brother, but yes he did," Connor admitted.
"Well, since I'm changing the nature of the trust, Liam and your new child and any subsequent children will be able to draw on the trust same as Danny and Terri. I can include you if you like, I can't think of a better way to pass it on," James said seriously.
Well I'm not sure, I have quite a bit put by, my company is worth a great deal and I won't be working into my old age. I've enough put by to have a very comfortable retirement well into my nineties if I last that long. Besides I can always sponge off me wife if things go south," Connor grinned. Liam just received a settlement of eight point five million dollars from having been shot by a mentally deranged classmate. It happened at Liam and Danny's joint birthday party. Liam has donated one million five to the regional park for a summer music program. So he's set for university fees and just about anything he might need. With that kind of seed money he can grow what he has into quite a pile by the time he has his degrees."
"Good lord, why would anyone want to shoot a boy like Liam? And how in the world did he gain access to a gun?" James queried.
Connor explained about the circumstances leading to the shooting, the guard's failure to store his revolver properly and the fact that Dave Parker knew nothing about firearms. He explained the lawsuit and settlement.
"All the parties named in the suit were anxious to make it go away so they settled quickly and covered all of our legal and medical fees separately. Once our attorney laid it out for them they couldn't settle fast enough," Connor tittered.
James laughed and they rejoined the others.
"James, are you staying in town?" Liam asked.
"I will be, I wasn't sure how this might go so I haven't checked in yet," James replied.
"Why don't you stay here for the night, we have the room and I'm sure Danny would like to hear about his birth father in more detail," Liam suggested.
Terri had already approved the invitation so it was up to James.
"Well, I hate to impose, is that acceptable to you and Connor, Terri?" James asked.
"Yes he cleared it with us before he asked you, and you'd be quite welcome," Terri assured him.
"Well then, how can I say no? I'll bring my bag in a bit later," James decided.
"Dan never got a chance to tell me about his early life or his family, I'm beginning to think he didn't want me knowing them too well. Was it that unpleasant for him?" Terri asked.
"Yes, I'm afraid so, his mother was very controlling and his sisters always came first. His father divorced his mother and sued for custody but she managed to retain it and all but cut Daniel off from his father. I would invite Daniel over frequently and arrange for him to see his dad. She wouldn't allow her husband custody but ignored her son. He was just a tool for tormenting his father as far as she was concerned. When Daniel was fifteen, I met Graham and we fell in love. It turned out that my sister wasn't only a witch, she was a bigot and homophobe, she didn't approve of our relationship so I had to make a choice."
"About that time, Seb was allowed another custody hearing and Daniel chose to go with him. Graham and I moved to England and married and I lost contact with Seb and Daniel. Seb passed away just after Daniel turned eighteen. I had hoped he would come visit but his mother interfered with the trust and kept him from claiming his birthright. I know he went out on his own after college and did quite well for himself, I presume he met you during that time and that's all I know. I'm very sorry you had to struggle all those years," James said solemnly.
"It can't be helped and we're very happy now. We've made a family together and we've got another member on the way, maybe two. The doctor can't tell yet. We should know in about a month," Terri supplied.
"I have to say you have certainly taken this calmly, anyone else would be outraged at being done out of their inheritance," James observed.
"There's no point, we have enough to be safe and secure and our boys and possibly girls will be able to attend college if they choose. We're certainly not hurting for money," Terri shared.
"That's a very healthy attitude to have towards money. Graham and I live a fairly simple life when we're not out tending to business. And we make our money work, not just for us but also for our community. That's what money is for as far as I'm concerned. Yes, we have a great time zipping off to Bern or Paris but we aren't wastrels. We spend most of our time working with our horses. We have a breeding operation and an equestrian center on the estate in Staffordshire. We enjoy the work and hate being away for business, but needs must," James finished.
"Are you American?" Liam asked.
"Yes, I pay taxes in both countries," James chuckled. "I've just spent so much time there, the vocab sort of crept in. I went to school there and university as well," James explained.
"I know how that works, I've a Dublin accent that won't shift and I'm not that anxious for it to go completely," Liam shared.
The family and their guest had a simple dinner of roast chicken breasts and vegetables and retired to chat a bit more.
"So Liam, what may I ask are your interests? I've been so focused on speaking with Daniel I've been ignoring you, I'm so sorry," James admitted.
"It's okay James, you just discovered you had a nephew you didn't know about but since you ask, my main focus is guitars. I play piano but Danny is passing me by, I love the guitar and I've been playing since I was three and a bit. Me Shan is a studio musician and she's in high demand. She goes to Hamburg and London quite a bit to play in sessions with big name bands. Danny's pretty good on guitar, too. Once he got a bit of confidence he took off like a rocket," Liam expounded.
"I would very much like to hear you both play, is that possible?" James requested.
"I wouldn't mind," Danny put in, "But Liam isn't giving you the whole story. He plays like a demon on the guitar and he plays piano from memory, I have to use sheet music. He can also play violin, penny whistle, mandolin and accordion, oh, and the Irish pipes. I hate it when he undersells himself, he's feckin' brilliant and you should be aware of that," Danny scolded in Liam's direction.
"I don't play the accordion, I play a Melodeon. There's quite a difference just in the weight, it's a diatonic instrument with only three rows of buttons for melody and eight bass buttons. Accordions have keys like a piano and the accordions have a full three octave range and they're chromatic. The melodeon is better suited to Irish music," Liam lectured briefly.
"But you've mastered that and several others is that true?" James probed.
"Well yes, but…"
"No buts Liam, just take it. I love to brag about my brother so just absorb the spotlight for a little bit okay?" Danny chided.
"Fine, but you're going to show everybody how well you're doing with number eleven, fair?" Liam insisted.
"Sure, but you're going to play the rondo for James and then we can up the amperage a bit and play some Big Bill or something," Danny agreed.
Danny and Liam lugged down two guitars each, two nylon and two steel stringed acoustics.
"I'm told you have quite a collection of guitars and that you are learning the luthier trade. I'm very impressed. There's no need for you to be embarrassed or shy about your gifts Liam, they are a blessing and you should be glad that you can do those things," James told him.
Liam and Danny had been talking upstairs and Liam had agreed to be less shy about his abilities, for Danny's sake. He would move mountains for Danny.
Liam played the rondo and a bit of Boccherinni's Minuet. Then the two of them played The House Rent Stomp by Big Bill Broonzy and Liam finished up with a few blues tunes while Danny prepared to play the sonata. James was amazed at the performance and couldn't say enough about the level of accomplishment that both boys possessed.
Finally, it was time for bed and the boys carried their guitars upstairs and turned in.
Danny had a nightmare about his father and woke sobbing. Liam did his best to comfort him.
"Why couldn't they save him Liam, he had so much to look forward to," Danny sobbed.
"I don't know Danny, it must have been a terrible accident and sometimes it doesn't matter how much money you have, it just doesn't help with some things," Liam soothed.
"It's a weird world Liam, I saw a drunk guy wander out into a busy street, he got knocked down by three different cars and only got scratched up. My father was in a crosswalk when he was hit by a girl in a Volkswagen at low speed and he died, it's just not fair."
"I know Danny, it's complete shite but there's nothin' we can do about it. But he was thinking about you and yer mam before he died. It's not his fault that his mother bent things up," Liam remarked.
"I don't care about the money, I love our Da but I wish I could have had my own father. I love them both, is that wrong?" Danny asked.
"Of course not, your love of your father doesn't detract from your love for our da, any more than his love for you takes away from his love for me. There's room for love in a family like ours so don't worry about that," Liam countered.
"You're right, thanks for pointing that out, let's try to get back to sleep, sorry I woke you up," Danny spoke softly.
"No need to be sorry, it's what I'm here for, I love you Danny, I'll always be here for you," Liam replied sleepily.
Within minutes, they were both sound asleep.