[SL-Marvel] Ch: 2 [New family]

Jason Miller sat in his chair, frozen, holding the phone tightly. The news about the death of his father felt like a punch in the gut. He hadn't talked with his dad for years, not since he walked out of their house. Memories rushed back; it all came rushing back, very painful.

"Mr. Miller? Are you still there?" He snapped back to reality, hearing Carlos' voice.

"Yeah, I'm here," Jason said; his voice was barely above a whisper.

"My condolences. There are some legal matters relating to your father's estate that we need to go over. Can you come to our office later today?"

Jason filled his lungs and processed everything for a moment. His father was gone, the man whom he blamed all those years—gone, absent, without blame. "Yes, I can come. What time?"

"Does 3 PM work for you?" Carlos asked.

'That works,' Jason agreed.

After Jason put down the phone, he sat silently, looking at the wall. He had always figured his father would be around, even if they never made up. He was unprepared for the reality of his father's death. Suddenly, he rose from the couch and moved; he needed to do something that would put some distance between this whirlwind of emotions and him.

Jason left his office and was oblivious to the inquiring looks of his employees. He dashed for the elevator to get out of this enormous building. Outside, he took a deep breath; the fresh air filled his lungs and cleared his mind slightly.

He started his car and drove through the city, reminiscing on memories with his father. The laughter, the arguments, the moments of silence. He remembered how his father took him to the baseball games, remembering how they cheered with all their might from the bleachers. There were good times before it all went to hell.

Jason arrived at the law firm some minutes past 3 PM. The receptionist greeted him and took him to Carlos's office. The lawyer stood up, shaking his hand.

"Mr. Miller, I am Carlos Rodriguez. Please, take a seat," he said, moving to one of the chairs in front of his desk.

Jason took his seat, his mind still spinning. "What do I need to know?" he said, coming straight to the point.

Carlos nodded; he understood that I needed to be succinct. "Your father left a large estate. There's the house, some investments, and a few other assets. He also left a will naming you as the primary beneficiary."

Jason nodded slowly, trying to absorb the information. He had never considered his father's assets or what would happen to them. "Is there anything specific I need to do?"

"Yes, there are some formalities and a few papers to sign. But on top of that, you need to know something," Carlos continued, his face growing more serious.

Jason felt a knot forming in his stomach. "What is it?"

"Your father remarried a few years ago. You have a stepmother and a stepsister," Carlos said softly.

Jason looked at him in disbelief. "A stepmother and a stepsister? Why hadn't he told him before?"

Carlos sighed. "I can't answer that, Mr. Miller. All I can tell is that they lived with him in his house. Your stepmother Linda and stepsister Emma are also in the will."

His mind raced. It was years spent holding resentment against his father, and now he got to find out that there was an entire part of his father's life he knew nothing about. "What does the will say about them?"

"Your father had been very specific about how he wanted them taken care of. Linda is to get a good chunk of his assets, among those being the house they lived in. Emma is to have a trust fund set up for her future education and living expenses," Carlos explained.

Jason felt a swirl of emotions: anger, confusion, and some peculiar feeling like he was being betrothed. He didn't know these people, yet they were a part of his life now. "What am I supposed to do with this information?"

"I think you should meet them. They're your father's legacy, after all. If you saw how they lived, you might understand it and then come to terms," Carlos suggested.

Jason sighed deeply; it was overwhelming. "I guess I don't have a choice, do I?"

"You do, Mr. Miller. But it's often better to face these situations head-on than avoid them," Carlos advised.

Jason nodded heavily, feeling the weight now on his shoulders. "Okay, I'll meet them. Can you arrange it?"

"All right. I will set up a meeting for tomorrow. While I am at it, these are the papers you have to read over and sign regarding your father's estate," Carlos said, extending to him a pile of papers.

Jason accepted the documents, feeling the weight of the situation settle on his shoulders. "Thank you, Carlos. I appreciate your help."

"Thank you, Mr. Miller. I'll be in touch with the details for tomorrow's meeting," Carlos said as he rose to shake his hand again.

With the law firm behind him, Jason's mind was a tornado of thought and emotion. He drove back to his mansion, feeling lonelier than he ever had. This sprawling estate, once a symbol of his success, now felt empty and hollow. It had been an evening spent with the papers, looking to understand the blizzard of legalese.

The reality of his father's death and the existence of his stepmother and stepsister weighed heavily on him. He had always prided himself on being in control, but now he felt adrift.

On the next day, Jason woke early, not being able to sleep. Mechanically, he was doing his morning routine; his thoughts were already at the meeting. By the time he entered the law firm, he was filled with dread and curiosity.

Carlos greeted him in the lobby. "Good morning, Mr. Miller. They are waiting for you in the conference room." Jason nodded, following Carlos down a hallway to a large room. Inside, a woman in her late forties with a kind face and a teenage girl with bright eyes and dark hair were seated. They looked up as Jason entered.

"Mr. Miller, this is Linda and Emma," Carlos introduced them.

Jason Miller stood awkwardly just inside the conference room door, feeling the situation press down upon him with an almost physical weight. There was a small, tentative smile on his stepmother Linda's face and a mixture of curiosity and apprehension in the eyes of Emma, his teenage stepsister.

"Hello, Jason," Linda greeted softly and warmly, "I'm Linda, and this is my daughter Emma."

Jason nodded, forcing a smile. "Nice to meet you both. I'm...Jason."

There was so much tension in the room, and each was grappling with thoughts and emotions. Jason sat down across from them, trying to collect his thoughts.

"I am sure it is indeed surprising," Linda began, and her eyes were a mix of sorrow and empathy. "I know Charles talked about you a lot. He felt sorry that he could not reconcile with you."

His father's regrets made Jason's heart tighten. He spent too many years in resentment and anger, never once looking at it from his father's perspective.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Jason said sincerely. "I...didn't know about you two until yesterday. It's a lot to take in."

Emma had been silent throughout this process. "Did you hate Dad that much?" Hurt and curiosity mixed up within her voice.

Jason was taken aback by the directness of the question. When he looked into her eyes, Jason found the same feeling of pain and confusion. "I didn't hate him," Jason said slowly. "I was angry and hurt when he wasn't there for me and my mom when we needed him the most. But I never hated him."

Linda had a comforting hand on Emma's shoulder. "Charles had always regretted not being there for you and your mother. He used to tell me that he wished he would have done things differently."

Jason felt a pang of guilt. He had blamed his father all these years, and not for once had he thought his father might have regrets or sorrows of his own. "Thank you for telling me that," Jason offered quietly. "I didn't know. I wish things could have been different, too."

Carlos cleared his throat while looking on at the scene. "I know this is a lot to process, but there are also some legal matters that we will need to address regarding Charles' estate."

Jason nodded, grateful for the break from the heavy emotions that swirled in the room. "Yes, let's go over the details."

Carlos spread the papers over the table and explained to us Charles' will. Many of his properties, even the house we were living in, would go to Linda. Emma would get a trust fund for her support and education. Jason would inherit the other balance of the estate, which included investments and other properties.

"As the key beneficiary, you will be required to sign these documents to confirm the asset transfer," Carlos attempted to explain as he passed Jason a pen.

Jason eventually signed the papers, and his mind was still a maelstrom with emotions and revelations. Finishing it, he raised his head to look into Linda's and Emma's eyes with newfound responsibility.

"I know that this is all new to me, but I so desire to get to know you guys," he said with a depth of sincerity, "and if Charles cared for you, then I need to understand that part of his life."

Linda smiled, an evident glimmer of relief dancing in her eyes. "We would like it too, Jason. We are family now and should be supportive of each other."

Emma nodded, a smile twitching at the corners of her mouth. "Yeah, I'd like to get to know you too."

They walk out of the law office.

For once in their lives, something was now right for them, a little less burdened by what they never should have had to carry. Jason invited Linda and Emma to his mansion for dinner that evening. He would try to build a life with these women—his family's fortune meant very little to him these days.