The encounter had been so quick. Mere seconds. But as she turned and took the steps, Maggie’s knees wobbled precariously. She steadied herself with the railing.
Robyn couldn’t get away from her fast enough. Her denial had contradicted her response. Maggie hadn’t had to see the woman’s expression to know she was evading, lying.
It wasn’t DNA but it was awfully close. She fled to her car and closed herself in, wishing the darkness would swallow her up. She wanted to get as far away from this place as possible. She started her car and pulled from the curb.
Vision blurry, she dashed tears from her face. Could he really havedone this terrible thing? She pressed a hand to the ache in her chest, her mind whirling with questions. If her suspicions were true, had Ethan known about Robyn’s pregnancy? About his son? Had he kept in contact with her? With Will?
This was just too much to bear.Isn’t it enough that You took him from me? Couldn’t You have just left it at that? Now he’s gone and I can’t even get answers. And now my memory of him, of what we had, is forever sullied.
***
“Mom?”
Will’s mother jumped at his sudden appearance. Then she dashed into the connecting kitchen and grabbed a dishrag. “Will. I thought you were in your room.”
His gaze sharpened on her even as dread roiled in his stomach. “Who was that at the door?”
“It—it was just someone selling... cookies.”
Mom was a terrible liar. Even if her ridiculous response didn’t give her away, the tremble in her voice and the frenetic cleaning would’ve. He was shaking a little himself. The knock on the door had pulled him from his room. Only one of his friends would come over this time of night. But it hadn’t been Levi or Braden. It was a woman.
“I heard what she said, Mom.”
His mother’s widened eyes locked on him for a moment. Then she glanced at the closed door.
“The window’s open.I heard what she said.” His own voice trembled. When you were the product of a sperm donor, you didn’t holdout much hope of ever knowing your biological father. But that hadn’t stopped Will from wondering and searching.
And now the answer seemed to have washed up like a seashell on the shore. He’d been too shocked to move. And by the time he’d gathered his wits, the woman was gone. “Her husband must be my biological father.”
Mom scrubbed a spot on the counter. “We don’t know that.”
It was one thing not to know the answers to his questions, another to simply withhold them from him. “I can tell you’re lying, Mom. Were you lying about the IUI too? She talked like you knew him. Like you had a relationship with him.”
“No! I swear that’s the truth. She was mistaken about that.”
Her expression and tone seemed sincere enough. “What’s his name?” He’d stepped into the hallway too late for introductions, if there’d been any.
The rag stopped its frantic motions. His mom slumped her shoulders, her whole body heaving with her breaths. “I couldn’t say, but—she showed me his picture.” Mom met his gaze, her expression softening. “Did you hear the part about him...?”
“Being dead? Yeah, I heard that part. So you think it was him? That her husband is my biological father?”
Mom set down the rag and came over to him. Her eyes teared as she regarded him warily. “I don’t know.”
Will’s throat swelled closed. “But now he’s gone and I can never know him. Never have a conversation with him.”
“I’m sorry, honey.” Mom touched his shoulder.
He flinched away. “Why did you lie to her? Why did you chase her away? I could’ve talked to her and learned about him at least.”
“I’m sorry. Her husband died a-and she seemed so distraught.”
“What about me? Did you think for a minute about what I might’ve wanted?” She knew he’d always wanted to find his biological father.
Something about the woman snagged in his memory. She’d said something about leaving tomorrow. Something about not living here.“What’s her name? Where’s she from? I have to find her.”
Mom’s face crumpled. “I wish I could tell you, honey. I’m so sorry.”
Chapter 42
