Young people were going to drive him into any early grave if vices of far more hazardous danger won't do so first. He paced in front of the small dinette table. Seats were still warm, food now cold after the outburst that ruined Sunday's dinner. A young kid, maybe older and much wiser than the years allotted, surprised him in more than two ways. Then there was his brother, Beau's adoptive kid that was taken under one of Nate's broken wing. And boy was Nathan a shitty influence. Maybe not always because he tried what he could do to protect the kid. The both of them left him there to his own devices. He was nervous, paranoid, and overall confused at the display that left him questioning her appearance.

Agitated, he rushed to further question validity of links to the past. The KISS tour shirt. A name that was shortened and he couldn't remember why. There was a young woman that absorbed most of his summer in 90'. She was a misfit in ways that were beyond his wildest dreams. Maybe he had it all wrong then and believed what was portrayed. He too was young, still wet behind the ears with nothing but his first year at UCONN to show for. Evey, he called her but nothing more than a flash of teenage memories to rake through. He needed more than just a name and coincidental pieces that had been right under his nose the entire time.

Booted feet ditched the area to seize what he could. He passed through the living room on course to retrieve more info, something concrete because the parallels from thrown darts of questions were fueling his paranoia. Eyes scanned, while hands pilfered through anything that didn't look like it belonged to James. Women's clothes, a basket filled with it was picked through, that shirt glaring at him like a light shining on a part of his life he nearly forgotten. The t-shirt wasn't enough, merely coincidence he pondered. He wanted more, needed more for his own sanity. Glancing up he looked at the door that was left unlocked, wondering how much time was needed to do a quick sweep.

Bags, carrying what could be, was broken into with a simple unzip until he sought out a yellow envelope. He looked out waiting for any moment the two would walk through the door. Footsteps were out of range as he only heard his heartbeat intensifying with attempts to open the envelope. Flap gave way and he tilted it until items slid into his palm. An old image, documents of birth, and other handwritten pieces of paper were flipped through promptly. Head shot up and eyes widened at the length it would take before being caught.

Nathan hurried in placing clothes where they were, zipped what needed to be closed, and madly lost himself in the kitchen. A paper bag that groceries were carried in was used to stuff the envelope in while he wanted to play it cool but was unable to with the notion that he could possibly be someone's father. Much time had passed and a hand ran against the stubble on his face. Fright from a distinct form cause his appetite to break from what it previously thrived to be. He had to leave, and not return for a while. Hide out until he did his own looking into.

Fear and an illogical sense of instability wanted to point in directions of people he may have crossed to infiltrate in his life with this girl. He mistakenly felt vulnerable and didn't know what to do but to flee. An act committed weeks ago but he couldn't find the reason for leaving so abruptly from his brother's house at that time. Now he had a reason to. A couple of bottles of beer were removed from the fridge; bag was grabbed as a consolation and tucked under his arm. Contents within were secure and needed an escape as he did the same. Nathan heard the rumbling voice of James, powering through the door as he was just confused as any, berating his ears with questions. No explanations were given as he had to find his keys amongst the drum of his heart growing louder in his ears.

"I gotta go. Enjoy the food and booze. Find your friend or something. I just gotta go," he said in passing to offer a shoulder squeeze. That dumb look on the guy's face said it all as he sported the same. His keys were in the back of his pocket, retrieved the moment he stepped out the door and slamming it behind him. Traveling farther away from the apartment felt like time slowed and he wouldn't get away soon enough. He managed to find his truck and unlocked it to get in. The street was dark except for a lone light hanging over to illuminate the few-parked vehicles before his. Key in the ignition but he didn't start it yet. He had privacy to look through the envelope after invading someone else's space to gain it.

Guarded in his surroundings, he used the mirrors to see if anyone was around. A body walking in the opposite direction of where he sat idle in his truck could only be her. He wasn't sure and couldn't be so sure of what he found when pulling out the envelope along with the contents inside. He felt the small beads of sweat form while aiming to hit the light for clarity. Pictures of a younger self was grinning up at him, fondly posing next to the woman he had a summer fling with. She was the first but never would be the last since that time. The Polaroid meant little to him as the legal document he then shuffled to the forefront. Eyes squinted, reading the certificate of live birth in its proof.

Rowan Wilson Wallace

Scanning for more, he went directly towards the assigned boxes to seek the parents' names. Brows stretched at Rowan's mother's name. Shortened recollection of an Evelyn and he couldn't place why he only knew her as Evey but it made the most sense to him as her image was in the envelope. Then he stared deeply at his own name looking back at him with shredded doubt lingering there before. Reacting impulsively he started the car, then stuffed everything back into the yellow envelope and pulled out of his parking without setting the specifics into the empty space beside him. He missed throwing on a seat belt but was too spooked to think about safety when mauled by what possibly could be true.