biological daughter – wait, I’m only saying
if –
that means
somewhere out there is a child who
is.’
She felt as if she’d been punched in the stomach.
Her daughter; Patrick’s daughter.
The sudden, atavistic need to find and protect her was overwhelming.
No.
Nell was her daughter. In every way that counted.
‘If this turns out to be true,’ he said quietly, ‘do you think you have a right to keep it from her?’
‘What good will it do her to know?’ she cried. ‘She’s happy. You and I are getting married. Why complicate things?’
‘She may have brothers and sisters, Zoey. Grandparents. Aunts and uncles . . .’
She caught her breath.
Brothers and sisters.
The family Nell had longed for all her life. How could she keep that from her?
To protect her. ‘Brothers and sisters she’s never even
met.’
‘She may also have a father.’
‘You’re her father,’ Zoey said staunchly. ‘You have been for eight years. You’re all the father she’s ever needed.’
‘That’s sweet of you to say so. But we both know it’s not really true.’
For a long moment she said nothing.
‘You think the hospital’s right, don’t you?’ she asked finally.
She could see him choosing his words with care. ‘I think they must be fairly sure of their facts this time round, for legal reasons if nothing else. If they’ve made a mistake,
they’re already liable for millions. They’d hardly want to make that worse.’
‘I don’t care about
money
!’
‘I know that. But you have to understand this is bigger than you and Nell now. This other woman, the other mother, clearly isn’t going to let it drop, not now she’s forced the
hospital to track you down. This is going to take on a life of its own.’
Her hand trembled as she raised her mug to her lips. Her tea had long gone cold, but she drank it anyway. Her mouth was so dry she could hardly swallow.
‘I think you need to prepare Nell,’ he said gently. ‘She needs to hear it from you.’
‘She doesn’t need to hear it at all.
We’re
her family, Richard.
We’re
all she needs.’
They both turned at the sound of a key in the back door. Moments later, Nell erupted into the sitting room, dumping her backpack on the floor. She looked excited but tense, bouncing lightly on
the balls of her feet as if she was about to bolt from the room. Zoey recognized the look on her face: she’d seen it when Nell had confessed to breaking her sewing machine running up an
outfit for design class that had come top of the year, and when she’d admitted to bunking off school to see the Stones in concert a year or two ago. Pride and guilt in equal measure.
‘Go on then,’ she sighed. ‘Today can hardly get any worse.’
‘Mum,’ Nell said, her eyes brilliant. ‘Mum, I’ve just met my brother.’
‘Patrick’s
son?’ Zoey said. ‘How? Why?
How?’
she said again.
Nell grinned with triumph. ‘OK. So I knew he had a son called Ryan – it mentioned him in an article I read online. It took me a while to find the right Ryan James on Facebook –
it would have been a whole lot easier if he was called something like Bretzina – but in the end I tracked him down. We’ve been texting and stuff for a couple of months now. We thought
it would be cool to take the afternoon off and meet up for real. It’s OK, Mum. You don’t have to worry. Ryan’s cool.’
‘But why?’ she said, bewildered.
‘Why
would you want to meet him?’
‘He’s her brother,’ Richard said quietly.
She was stunned. That Nell should seek out Patrick’s son was the last thing she’d ever expected. All this time, and she’d never said a word about wanting to find her
father’s family. And then to find out about it today of all days. When Ryan might not be Nell’s brother after all.
She buried her face in her hands, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
‘Mum? Mum, you are OK with this, right?’
‘I – yes – it’s just a shock, that’s all.’ She straightened
if –
that means
somewhere out there is a child who
is.’
She felt as if she’d been punched in the stomach.
Her daughter; Patrick’s daughter.
The sudden, atavistic need to find and protect her was overwhelming.
No.
Nell was her daughter. In every way that counted.
‘If this turns out to be true,’ he said quietly, ‘do you think you have a right to keep it from her?’
‘What good will it do her to know?’ she cried. ‘She’s happy. You and I are getting married. Why complicate things?’
‘She may have brothers and sisters, Zoey. Grandparents. Aunts and uncles . . .’
She caught her breath.
Brothers and sisters.
The family Nell had longed for all her life. How could she keep that from her?
To protect her. ‘Brothers and sisters she’s never even
met.’
‘She may also have a father.’
‘You’re her father,’ Zoey said staunchly. ‘You have been for eight years. You’re all the father she’s ever needed.’
‘That’s sweet of you to say so. But we both know it’s not really true.’
For a long moment she said nothing.
‘You think the hospital’s right, don’t you?’ she asked finally.
She could see him choosing his words with care. ‘I think they must be fairly sure of their facts this time round, for legal reasons if nothing else. If they’ve made a mistake,
they’re already liable for millions. They’d hardly want to make that worse.’
‘I don’t care about
money
!’
‘I know that. But you have to understand this is bigger than you and Nell now. This other woman, the other mother, clearly isn’t going to let it drop, not now she’s forced the
hospital to track you down. This is going to take on a life of its own.’
Her hand trembled as she raised her mug to her lips. Her tea had long gone cold, but she drank it anyway. Her mouth was so dry she could hardly swallow.
‘I think you need to prepare Nell,’ he said gently. ‘She needs to hear it from you.’
‘She doesn’t need to hear it at all.
We’re
her family, Richard.
We’re
all she needs.’
They both turned at the sound of a key in the back door. Moments later, Nell erupted into the sitting room, dumping her backpack on the floor. She looked excited but tense, bouncing lightly on
the balls of her feet as if she was about to bolt from the room. Zoey recognized the look on her face: she’d seen it when Nell had confessed to breaking her sewing machine running up an
outfit for design class that had come top of the year, and when she’d admitted to bunking off school to see the Stones in concert a year or two ago. Pride and guilt in equal measure.
‘Go on then,’ she sighed. ‘Today can hardly get any worse.’
‘Mum,’ Nell said, her eyes brilliant. ‘Mum, I’ve just met my brother.’
‘Patrick’s
son?’ Zoey said. ‘How? Why?
How?’
she said again.
Nell grinned with triumph. ‘OK. So I knew he had a son called Ryan – it mentioned him in an article I read online. It took me a while to find the right Ryan James on Facebook –
it would have been a whole lot easier if he was called something like Bretzina – but in the end I tracked him down. We’ve been texting and stuff for a couple of months now. We thought
it would be cool to take the afternoon off and meet up for real. It’s OK, Mum. You don’t have to worry. Ryan’s cool.’
‘But why?’ she said, bewildered.
‘Why
would you want to meet him?’
‘He’s her brother,’ Richard said quietly.
She was stunned. That Nell should seek out Patrick’s son was the last thing she’d ever expected. All this time, and she’d never said a word about wanting to find her
father’s family. And then to find out about it today of all days. When Ryan might not be Nell’s brother after all.
She buried her face in her hands, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
‘Mum? Mum, you are OK with this, right?’
‘I – yes – it’s just a shock, that’s all.’ She straightened
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