Family. That word has meant many things to me during my lifetime. Until now, it meant those who stayed with me, not with whom I share my DNA. But it could all change based on this one phone call.
I dial his number and disconnect the call after the first ring. Placing the phone on my coffee table, I wonder if I should find an alternative way to contact him. It’s only my fifteenth time pulling his contact details, and considering calling him today.
Fuck. It can’t wait any longer. I know it. Looking down, I lift my finger and press the call button one more time. The familiar sound of a connecting call rings around me as I put the call on speaker.
“Reid Walters speaking,” comes a deep male voice I recognizefrom the interviews I watched online last night. It’s really him. But what should I say?
“Hi Mr.— ”
“I don’t know how you got this number, but it’s my personal number for family and friends only. I’m uninterested in whatever you’re trying to sell.”
I panic as I think he’ll hang up before I even have an opportunity to say anything and utter the first thing that comes to mind. “Did you know a girl named Trisha Kingston around twenty-seven years ago? She lived in Omaha. Well, I guess she still does.”
The line goes quiet, and I have to check that he’s still there. It looks like he didn’t hang up on me. That’s a good sign, right?
It takes him a moment to finally speak, lowering his voice. “Yes, I did, back in my teen years. We met during my trip to see my cousins one summer. She was in the same class with one of them, and there was a house party we both went to. How do you know her?”
“She’s my mother…and I don’t know how to say this, so listen…I think you’re my father. You see, my mother mentioned your first name and where you live?—”
“I haven’t spoken to your mother in years. How would she know all that about me?”
I know it sounds crazy, but I feel more sure about this than before the phone call. Even if he ignored my mention of him possibly being my father. Something just feels right.
“It isn’t hard to find information online. It would have been easy for her to find all that with your name alone.”
“And how do I know that you aren’t just trying to get money out of me?”
Thinking quickly, I try to come up with something to make him believe me. “What if I send you a few photos of myself? From my childhood and what I look like right now. Would that help?”
He exhales loudly and murmurs something. I can’t catch what. He might be talking to someone, but I can’t be sure.
“What was that, Mr. Walters?”
“Please call me Reid. I didn’t catch your name.”
“It’s Jackson Reid Bennett, sir.”
There’s a clatter and based on the sound, and the swearing, I figure he’s dropped his phone. That makes me laugh.
“Sorry about that, Jackson. I need to process everything you just told me. Send over those photos, and I’ll have a look. If I agree with you on how much alike we are, we need to have a paternity test to confirm everything.”
I expected as much. “That sounds like something I could do. Thanks for answering my call, Reid.”
“I would say no worries, but that doesn’t seem like the right thing to say right now. I’ll text you more details on that DNA test. I—I can’t believe I just said that. A son…A grown-up son.”
“Well, I discovered you weren’t dead after all, so I guess I am as shocked as you are.”
“That’s true…bye, Jackson.”
And the line goes dead. That might have been the most awkward yet hopeful conversation of my life.
24
JAX
Currently playing: Drive by Incubus
The most challenging part about having your entire life turned upside down is that you have to act like you aren’t hurting and continue your everyday life. In my case, it means trying to get shit done, even if I would rather stay under the blankets in bed watching history videos.
