“Jack, she’s happier than she’s ever been in her life. You’re the best thing that ever happened to her.”
I laughed. “Funny. She says that same thing about you, Li. That you’re the best thing that ever happened to her.”
“Yeah, well, she’s the best thing that ever happened to me, too. I wouldn’t be who I am without her. I didn’t give a shit about myself back then, but I was damned if I’d ever let anyone hurt her or stand in her way. Maybe not the healthiest way to grow up, I guess, but here I am now, and here she is, and now she has you. And I don’t have any complaints.”
“Except about my cooking skills?” I asked to lighten the suffocating mood.
“Jesusfuck, dude, how can younotmake a proper soufflé yet? It’s been six goddamnedmonths.”
Last night’s chocolate soufflé had fallen flatter than a pancake. I still ate it, though, smothered with ice cream.
I grinned. “Well, good thing you’re a patient woman.”
“Gonna start calling you Neelix if you don’t up your game.Sheesh.” She knocked on the doorframe three times, one of her little habits for luck I’m not even certain she realized she did. “Lucky for you. I need to get back to it. I won’t say anything to her but if you’re not going to tell her, make sure to do something with those papers so she doesn’t accidentally stumble over them.”
I heard the front door close behind her a moment later, followed by the sound of her SUV starting and her driving off.
No, I had no clue what to do with this information.
But I needed to figure it out sooner rather than later. I had promised Emmy to never lie to her, never withhold information, no matter what. And I didn’t know how I could keep this from her for any length of time without telegraphing that I was holding something back.
I’m a chickenshit.
I mulled it over for three days and then, when I was at work, I created a new email account, signed up for a social media account with a fake name, and sent Miles Horton a message there.
I am not ready to give you more information at this time, but you have a daughter. Her mother was Ivy-Marie Colefield, and she was killed when your daughter was eight. She doesn’t know I’m sending this message to you, much less that I’ve found you, because I didn’t want to tell her if your reaction is negative. She’s not looking for anything from you, so don’t think this is an attempt to get money. But if you want to get to know her, or have questions for me about her, please respond to this message and we’ll go from there. I will tell you she survived a lot of trauma as a kid. If you don’t want anything to do with her, please respond and tell me that, and I will never contact you again, or even tell her that I have contacted you. Thank you.
I didn’t sign it, obviously.
I also fought the urge to check the email account every few minutes and had to force myself to stay off my phone.
Late the next day, before I headed home I checked the account and found a reply from Miles.
Not to sound like a jerk, but I don’t want to commit to anything without a DNA test. If she is my daughter, yes, Iwant to meet her and have as much interaction with her as she’ll allow. I am married and as you can imagine, this news will come as a shock to everyone. Meaning I want to be certain before going any further. Ivy-Marie ran away, or so I was told, after her parents told her she couldn’t see me anymore. I was supposed to meet her after school the next day, but I was late and she wasn’t there when I arrived. I never saw her again. I did not know she was pregnant, and when I asked her family for information about her whereabouts, they refused to respond. She didn’t call me after she left. We moved after I graduated. I am guessing you are her spouse? I will await your next contact, and I will pay for the testing if you/she cannot afford it.
And he included an email address.
I didn’t want to get into a long back-and-forth with him right then, but I did shoot him an email from the new account telling him I’d be in touch within the next couple of days.
Which would buy me a little thinking space.
I wanted to be angry at Lilah for putting me in this spot except I understood her actions came from a place of love for Emmy.
As I drove home, my plan was to take Emmy out for an evening ride on the horses and broach the subject. Except I no sooner pulled into our driveway when Emmy texted me.
Sorry, Sir. Late night. Emrg ped surg. Will text before leaving. Luv U.
Well, shit. Okay, shelve that plan.I texted her a quick reply and headed inside.
Lilah arrived home two hours after I did and I hadn’t heard from Emmy yet. She walked in scowling and I said, “Emergency surgery.”
Immediately Lilah relaxed, the tension flowing out of her.
Even if I couldn’t stand Lilah—not the case, because this incident not withstanding I adored her—I would have tolerated her for her dedication to Emmy. Lilah went out with a guy a few weeks ago, but when he’d heard about our living situation, he’d informed her that “no woman of his” would share a house with a guy except him.
It was a good thing I wasn’t there because I likely would’ve decked him. As it was, she told him to go fuck himself and when I came home from my shift a couple of hours later, I arrived bearing two different quarts of her favorite ice creams, thanks to Emmy’s heads-up.
I waited until Lilah had showered and returned to the kitchen in her Scooby PJs to get dinner to bring up the latest development.
