“Sure.” Sam eyed her warily and opened the door. “Is this okay?”
“Yeah, great.”
They found a table by the window and ordered food.
“Since you’re here I take it you believe me?”
“Yes.” Something about her softened just then. “I asked Ami-masi, and she told me that you had no idea Mom was pregnant. And thatshebroke up withyou.”
“That is true.”
“Shereallydumped you?” It seemed hard for her to believe. Well, that made two of them.
Sam shifted uncomfortably in his seat and bit into his sandwich to avoid her eyes. “Yes.”
“Why?”
“She said—she said she didn’t love me anymore.” Why was it still so hard to say those words?
“Did you believe her?”
“At the time, yes. She was very convincing.”
“That sucks.” She pursed her lips and cocked her head.
Sam smiled. “Yes, it did.”
Samantha looked at him with what could only be sympathy and sighed deeply.
“What did your mom say when you told her you were meeting me?”
“Not much.” Samantha had a sudden interest in her food.
“You didn’t tell her.” He was harsher than he meant to be. “How’d you get my number?”
She rolled her eyes. “Mom’s phone, duh.” And there was the famous Rao sass. “Did you tell Paige?”
“No, but I’m not a teenage girl secretly meeting a man, father or no. You have to tell her.” Sam tried to stare her down. “Or I will.”
Samantha took a bite of her sandwich in response. No sooner did Samantha take one bite than she started making a clicking sound with her tongue. Her eyes widened, and she started rummaging through her bag.
“What?” Alarm bells went off in Sam’s head.
“I’m allergic...” She coughed and looked dizzy.
Sam didn’t think. He grabbed her backpack and began rummaging through it. Phone charger, phone case, lipstick, books, all the contents of a teen backpack were pushed to the floor so Sam could locate the EpiPen.
“Dad.” At the thickness in her speech, Sam’s heart pounded. Somewhere in the back of his mind he registered that she’d just called him “Dad,” but he’d never felt more unprepared for that role than now. He unzipped all the compartments and unceremoniously dumped the contents of her backpack. Hands shaking, he sifted through her belongings, the action calming his own mounting panic.
He finally located the EpiPen and showed it to Samantha for verification. Her eyes half closed, she nodded. He leaped to her side and nearly knocked over his chair in his haste. He opened the case and rammed the needle into her thigh.
“Samantha. Samantha. Talk to me!” He pulled her close, helpless to steady his own hands or slow the rapid thudding in his chest.
“Sir? Sir!”
Sam looked up at the employee addressing him.
“We’ve called an ambulance. Is there anything else we can do to help?”
