Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 107254 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107254 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
“Doing it now,” I state, and then he disconnects. I get the lawyer's information as soon as I send the address to the lawyer’s office.
We pull up to the small house, and I look around to see if it’s the wrong address. But the front door opens, and an older gentleman comes out of the house. He’s wearing slacks and a button-down, short-sleeved white shirt. I get out of the truck and look around the little street, seeing all the houses are practically the same. “You must be Mr. Clarkson,” he says, walking down the five steps to his sidewalk, holding out his hand for me. “You must be.” He smiles as I reach out my hand to him.
“I am,” I say, “and that is my friend, Charlie Barnes.” I gesture to Charlie, who also extends his hand.
“I’m Mr. Graham,” he says softly. “Please come in.” He motions with his head toward the front door.
I look over at Charlie as we follow him up the steps. He slaps my shoulder and then squeezes it, giving me the support I didn’t know I needed. I let out my breath and walk into the house after him.
I look around and see the house is very welcoming and warm. A woman in the kitchen looks over at us and smiles. “This is my wife, Jenny,” he introduces the woman wiping her hands on a rag before coming over to me. Her face is filled with a soft smile. “It’s nice to meet you.” She nods at me. “Would you like some coffee?”
“I’m good,” I say, “but thank you.” I look over at Charlie, who replies the same.
“Shall we?” Mr. Graham says, pointing at the room off the front door. “I figured we can do this here at my home office.” He walks into the room.
The big brown desk with a matching brown chair is in the middle of the room, with a loveseat against the wall facing it and two chairs right in front of the desk. “Please, have a seat and make yourself at home.”
I sit down and feel the back of my neck start to get hot and my hands start to tingle. Looking over at Charlie, he sits and doesn’t say a word. “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this,” he apologizes softly. “Let’s start.” He opens the file on his desk. “I knew Paige for the past eight years.” He looks at both of us. “My wife got her number off one of those papers you leave in the supermarket. She was cleaning houses. She’s been cleaning our house once a week for the past eight years. We don’t have any children, and it’s just my wife and me.” I try to fight the bile forcing its way up my throat. “So that should tell you how much we cared about her.” His eyes get watery as he blinks the tears away. “She had a full calendar and even had a contract with the construction company.” He smiles sadly. “Paige was a lovely girl.” I close my eyes and feel the burn start.
“She was,” I agree. “If you don’t mind, can we skip to the child?”
“Lucy,” he says my daughter’s name. “Her name is Lucy, and she’s eight and a half.
“When she turned two, Paige sat me down and told me she needed to get her ducks in order just on the off chance that something happened.”
“How did she pass?” Charlie asks.
“We think it was a brain aneurysm,” he shares sadly, and this time, he sniffles. “Lucy found her unresponsive in the afternoon when she got home from school and called me right away.” I put my hands on the top of my head, and if there was ever a moment I wanted history to never repeat itself, it was at this moment. Not the same way, but losing the parent and finding them, I can’t even imagine.
“Oh my God,” Charlie gasps, “is she okay?”
“She’s doing as expected,” he admits. “Luckily, for all of us, everything was in place for this reason. I have all the paperwork ready; we just need a DNA sample to make sure you are the father. Although, I have no doubt now that I’ve seen you.”
I don’t know if I should be proud or scared at this moment. “I have someone who is going to have the DNA test rushed,” I start babbling my words.
He nods. “I had the lab on the line as of yesterday, waiting for you.”
Charlie nods and pulls up his phone, for sure texting Casey. “Where is she?” I ask, waiting with bated breath. My heart speeds up so fast, it feels like it's going to explode from my chest.
He crosses his hands on the desk, and it feels like a lifetime before he says the words so softly, I think I misheard him. “She’s upstairs, sleeping.”