“I know,” Hana said, coming around the corner of the staircase. Her nose was red, her voice clogged with tears. She lifted her phone. “Group text.”
“When does Dad get in?” I asked.
Mom shrugged. “I’m not currently speaking to him, but I told your brothers to march him onto that plane, no matter how much of a fight he put up.”
“Great.” I scrubbed my palms across the back of my neck, wishing I could ease the tension there. “They’re coming, too?”
“We’re a family in crisis,” Mom said. “We need to be together.”
“About as much as I want a root canal,” I muttered.
The three of us stood in the faint light, uncomfortable yet tethered together in this strange web of deceit.
“You really had no clue he was having an affair?” I blurted into the deepening and uncomfortable silence.
Mom shook her head, her lips tucked in tight. She seemed more aged than ever. “I thought we were happy.”
I stood frozen in place as my mother broke down in tears. Hana went to her and wrapped her in her arms. “It’s not her fault, Paxton,” she said in that soft, sweet voice. “It’shis.” She pursed her lips. “And my mother’s, of course.”
I swallowed my irritation and jerked a nod. She was right, but that didn’t mean I sought criticism. Now I wasn’t sure I’d ever get the chance to fully show her that, through everything, my heart had remained true in its love for her.
* * *
At eight a.m.on the dot, Hana and I sat side by side in the waiting room of the genetic testing facility, holding hands. Luka and Millie Stol, Gunnar Evaldson, Silas and Paloma Whittaker, Cormac and Keelie, Maxim and Ida Jane, and Cruz milled about.
My mother had chosen not to come with us, which was probably for the best. I was still really angry, and I worried what my reaction to more information would be. I refused to believe the universe could be that cruel. Hana and I had overcome our families’ bid to rip us apart, a life-altering car accident, Jeremy’s attempts to disrupt her life, and the years apart that made our connection difficult now.
No, we weren’t going to find out we were related, too. I just couldn’t process the possibility.
“What’s with these older men and not being faithful?” Ida Jane said as she slammed back into the seat next to Hana.
“Terrible role models,” Cruz muttered.
“Hey!” Coach said. “I resent that.”
“Well, you’re not an old guy,” Hana said.
Coach smiled at her. “I really like you.”
“It’s people Gunnar’s age and up that we have to worry about.” Cormac snickered.
“I’m fifty-one,” Gunnar said, narrowing his artic eyes and sizzling Cormac with a glare. “And I don’t fuck around.”
Now that I thought about it, I’d never seen his name connected to a woman’s. Maybe he liked dudes—he had been very committed to having the team include all types of partnerships. Well, if he liked men, good for him. I was all for loving the one you wanted, and for me that was Hana.
I went back to my loop about the universe.
“Did we miss the reveal?” Naomi asked as she sprinted into the room.
“Are you banging your sister?” Adam asked, appearing behind her with his son, Felix, strapped to his chest.
Naomi stopped and spun around, arms akimbo. “He is not. That’s a terrible question, and I’m very angry with you, Adam Kramer, for suggesting such a thing.”
Adam hung his head. “I didn’t mean it like that…”
Everyone laughed, and the tension burst, oozing from the room. It left a vacuum behind that was worse.
“Mr. Naese? Ms. Sato? We have your results,” Dr. Fortescue said, appearing in the doorway with a sheet of paper.
