“You need a drink, man,” Ryan said, patting my shoulder as he stood and strode over to the living room’s bar section. We were seated on the couch; I, Ryan, and Manny awaiting the test results together. I figured I needed them to be here for support, and also to help me process the outcome, whether good or bad.
“God helps her if it’s negative,” I hissed, running a hand through my hair nervously. “I’ll get her locked up the second I read that word. I already know it’s negative because there’s no way in hell I didn’t wear a condom that night.”
“It’s positive, man,” Manny said flatly. “I’m more than sure. Elaine isn’t a liar. I mean, she has no reason to pin this on you after everything you’ve been through together.”
“Still,” Ryan passed a glass of Scotch to me, then Manny, “I’m not in support of her keeping this away from him for this long. Who knows if she’d told him much earlier, the test wouldn’t have been necessary at all. Nothing hurts more than being kept in the dark, which is why I understand Max’s hurt.”
“At least she didn’t lie. Not telling isn’t the same as lying, or is it, Max?”
“What the fuck are you saying?” I clenched my fists, trying to keep my anger in check. “She fucking lied to me! In Ohio, when I asked her. She told me he was Cora’s son, not hers. I didn’t invite you here to get me upset by defending her.”
He held his hands up in surrender. “Fair enough. But I still think she’s telling the truth.”
Ryan kicked his shin. “Are you on our side or hers? Tell us now, man.”
“Elaine’s no villain, Ryan. Yes, she made a mistake but we shouldn’t crucify her until the test results come out. How’s it going, Max?”
I refreshed my email once more. “Still nothing. What’s taking so long? It’s been more than three hours already.”
“Calm down. It must be the network – ”
My phone dinged, signifying a new email and I hastily scrolled sideways to unlock it, my hands shaking with anxiety.
I clicked the mail.
Subject: Results
From: Testing
To Max Alaster Sturm
DNA match result: 99. 9% match.
Positive.
Congratulations, Sir. Giordan Finn Matthews is your biological son.
You can request another test in some other hospital establishment if you feel our results are faulty.
“Max, are you alright?” Manny queried, rising up from the sofa to peer at the screen, together with Ryan. I couldn’t feel anything. Anything but… disappointment and… pain.
“Told you,” Manny sighed. The room fell silent as I tried to process what I just read. Tears filled my eyes and I managed to swallow the lump in my throat. This was fucked up. This wasn’t how I’d envisioned fatherhood to be. I wanted to fall in love with a phenomenal woman, get married to her, and go through the conception process with her. I wanted to know my child right from the baby stage. Not from five. No, not from five.
Suddenly, I realized what I’d missed out on, prompting the tears to fall harder.
Wordlessly, I got up, not seeing anything or anyone but just one location in mind. My room. I needed to be alone. I needed to cry alone. What the hell did I do to deserve… this? What?
Why, Elaine? Why?
–
Elaine
I sashayed into Dreams with a fake smile pasted on. Yesterday was the worst, and the longest day I’d ever had in a long time. The minute the results came through, a temporary feeling of relief washed over me, then numbness sank in. As well as the question, what next? Where was the way forward from here? I’d waited breathlessly for Max to call, and I’d even gone to the office which I’d been avoiding for days now to see if he was around. He’d hired a new assistant already, much to my annoyance, and the rude girl told me that he didn’t want to speak or see my face ever again. I didn’t want to believe her, but given the recent circumstances, that sounded a lot like him.
Ugh. And today, here I was trying to force myself to unwind.
Dreams was the last place I wanted to be, but I just didn’t want to think about how messed up everything was tonight. I wanted to drink, have fun and go home. I deserved that.
“Hey, there, princess,” the gorgeous dark-haired bartender cooed as I clambered on a barstool. This wasn’t the first time he’d be preparing my drink here. “So nice to see you again. How’s life been?”
I grinned, eager to make small talk with someone new. “Hey, life’s been good, at best. Nice to see you again too.”
He frowned, sliding a glass across the granite surface to a blonde girl at my right. “You don’t look so good. You sure everything’s okay?”
I placed my purse down in front of me and blew out a sigh. What was the point of lying anyway? Life was far from good. “No, everything’s not. This week’s been shitty at best.”
“But it’s only Tuesday, love,” he chuckled. “Why do you say so, though?”
“I found the father of my son after so many years and told him he was his. The cruel twist of fate is that he’s also my boss and now he hates me… I can’t stand him at the office, so I’ve been staying away. Then he goes on and hires someone else to take my place. It’s really fucked up if you’re in my shoes.”
He shook his head sympathetically. “I’m so sorry. That’s sad.”
“It’s fine,” I shrugged after a pause, trying – and from his scandalized expression – failing to smile genuinely. “I don’t want to think about that tonight. I just want to have fun.”
He beamed knowingly. “Care for a drink, then?”
I didn’t even think about it. “Yes, please. Make it a double. No, a triple, in fact.”
He gave me a thumbs-up. “Coming right up, sugar.”