“Yes, I’ll be good. But can I go see Poppy?” Kade asks.
“No!” I yell at the same time as Nash replies.
“No, silly. Dad and Poppy said we need to stay here,” Nash tells him but much quieter than I did.
“That’s right, Kade. Sit still and don’t move until I get there. I’ll be home soon. I’m hanging up now. Do as you’re told.” I’m running out of time to reach Mrs. B before she arrives home, and is ambushed by Tessa’s arrival too. I hit the end call button on the screen.
“Call Mrs. B.” The boys made me change her name in my phone a long time ago. It made sense because I never call her by her full name.
She answers with her usual happy demeanor. “Landon, sorry, I’m out getting pizza if you want to talk to the boys.”
“Tessa’s at your house, the boys called me. I’m two streets away.” I get straight to the point because I’m running out of time.
“Oh, crap,” she replies, and that’s the equivalent of the word fuck for Mrs. B. “I’m coming.” The phone goes dead, which worries me that she’ll panic and get behind the wheel to get to Poppy, putting herself in danger. That’s why I didn’t tell her about Nash telling me Poppy looked scared. I don’t know what’s making her scared, but I know she’ll be worrying about the boys more than herself, so hearing Nash say those words has certainly sent me into a panic. I’m at the point now where I’m so over getting unexpected phone calls that send me spiraling about the unknown.
I’m picturing the last time I saw my parents. They turned up at my apartment, and when I opened the door, they were high as a kite with a knife, demanding I give them money. Rambling about how I owed them, because they brought me into this world. Is that what’s going on with Tessa, is she at the house trying to get something from Poppy before we get the results back? My past life won’t let me think that this is an innocent visit, and I could be totally overreacting, but I’m not prepared to take the risk.
“Fucccccckkkkkk!” I scream as loud as I can in my car, ramming the palm of my hand into the steering wheel. The pain jars up my arm, but I don’t give a shit. I ignore the radiating pain as I put my hand back on the wheel, needing it to turn the corner at high speed into our street.
POPPY
“Oh.” Tessa gasps as she raises her hands to her mouth. I can see tears running down her face.
Surprisingly my eyes are completely dry, and I’m too angry to become that emotional. I don’t really understand it, because I’ve been waiting all my life for this moment, but the way she turned up here and totally threw me has wrecked this moment that I’dimagined would feel so special. Maybe that’s why I can’t seem to find a tear to cry, and that makes me so sad and confused.
“You’re beautiful, look at you.” Her hands move out wide in front of her as she continues taking in the sight of me. “Even when I was your age, I never looked as gorgeous as you do.”
I don’t want to hear that from her right now. I don’t know how to take compliments from her about how similar we look. I already feel weird meeting her for the first time, and trying to process how alike we look.
“How did you find me?” I demand as I stop just inside the door, where we’re close enough without her having the chance to touch me.
“I’m sorry, Poppy, I just couldn’t wait. I followed you from the firehouse yesterday.” The tears are still falling on her cheeks, but she looks so happy to be talking to me. The little girl inside me wishes I could feel the same, but being in such shock of her being here, following me home, I just can’t feel that happiness.
“How do you know my name?” I trust Sully. He told me yesterday he didn’t give her any of my details.
“The little boys told me. It’s a pretty name. Suits you. Are they yours, the boys? Oh, my word, am I a grandmother?” She starts bouncing up and down a little on the balls of her feet, getting excited, but I cut her off straight away.
“No,” I bark back at her. One word is all I need to say because it covers both questions. No, they’re not mine, but they feel like it, and I would lay down my life for them. Even if they were mine, it would also be no, because she would never be their grandmother. Especially not here at my mother’s house. Mom will always be their Granny B.
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” She clasps her hands together, looking nervous. I’m not sure what she expected when she turned up here tonight, but I doubt it was this cold reception from me.
“What do you want, Tessa? I’m sure Captain Sullivan made it clear I didn’t want to see you until we had the results back.” I wish I wasn’t standing here leaning on crutches like this. It’s harder to look like a bad-ass bitch when you can’t stand your ground on your own two feet.
“I just want to talk. Please, Poppy, I just want to explain why I did what I did.” She stops, waiting for me to say something in reply.
As much as I’m trying to be strong, the thought of finally knowing why I was abandoned starts burning in my chest.
“You must see it too, surely. There’s no way the DNA test isn’t going to show you’re my daughter. I mean, look at us. You’re prettier, but we look so much alike it’s scary.” Her words are sinking in, and it’s hard to argue with her. What she’s saying is true. We have the same heart-shaped face, our noses both small and slightly turned up and the blue of her eyes is identical to mine, the exact same colour that Landon is constantly telling me how much he loves. So, I can’t stand here with a clear conscience and dispute the resemblance.
“I didn’t deserve this. You turning up here, suddenly and unexpected.” I can feel myself weakening. The rage is simmering down, partially due to Tessa being so genuinely happy to meet me.
“You’re right, absolutely. I shouldn’t have come here unannounced. But once I saw you yesterday, I was having trouble waiting to speak to you. When I saw the lady, who I’m guessing is your adoptive mother, leave a little while ago, I thought maybe we could talk, just the two of us. Without the pressure from other people. I didn’t know those cute little boys were here.”
My brain is just catching up to what she said.
“You’ve been watching my house?” I shriek, feeling worried about her doing that.
“No, no, no, that came out wrong. I had just pulled up and was sitting in the car, trying to talk myself out of knocking on your door. But when I saw that woman leave, I thought it was a sign, so I threw caution to the wind, and here I am.” She steps a little closer, and I can see her hands itching to reach out and touch me.
