Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 125936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
That had Elisa sitting up straighter. “What?”
“We have different dads,” Sabrina explained. “I didn’t tell you because I wanted to figure out what had happened. So I searched the attic where Mom kept all the records and I found a set of old journals.”
“Mom kept a journal?” She could hear the hitch in her voice. This was important. Whatever was in that envelope was important. She’d thought she was on one path, the one she’d been on her whole life. The one that always led back to this house.
But what if she was at a crossroads?
“She did for a couple of years,” Sabrina confirmed. “She had a lot of secrets. When she was younger she worked in intelligence.”
“I am aware.” Her mother had gone far in the military, much further than Elisa herself.
“I think she worked with the CIA.”
Elisa had to snort at that one. “Sure she did.”
Sabrina slid the envelope her way. “Here are the records I’ve managed to pull together and some people you can talk to. The important part is Mom worked with a man for about a year on several secret operations. Finding out that guy’s name was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, and I’m pretty sure I’m on a couple of watch lists now. I think that man is your father.”
Her world tilted a bit. Did it honestly matter who provided the paternal DNA that had created her? How would opening that envelope truly change her life? Her mother had lied because she was embarrassed she’d had a baby out of wedlock. Her mom was rigid that way. Whatever information her sister had dug up meant very little.
“He’s alive,” Sabrina said. “He lives in this small town called Bliss, Colorado. I’m almost positive he didn’t know about you. Mom talks about how she cut off all contact with him when she found out she was pregnant. She didn’t love him but he was… I don’t want to go into that. She was overly specific about things I didn’t want to know about her. Let’s say she enjoyed one aspect of their time together, but she thought they wouldn’t be compatible in a real relationship.”
“Was he cruel to her?”
“I think he was the opposite. I think he was too nice. And there was something about aliens, but I didn’t understand all of that. I think he was writing a book or something,” Sabrina said with a frown. “I thought you might want to meet him. He’s your dad. Honestly, I kind of want to meet him.”
He wasn’t her dad. She didn’t have a dad. “He was a sperm donor.”
“Was he?” Sabrina seemed intent on pushing her. “Mom didn’t give him a chance to be in your life. Maybe you could. And the town sounds lovely. I mean you can’t go until you’re done with radiation, but it might be a nice vacation for you.”
“I won’t be done for weeks and then you know I have to find a job.”
“Why? You’ve got money saved up and this house is paid off. You could take some time.” Every word out of Sabrina’s mouth sounded like temptation. “You don’t have to rush into the next thing. What if you could talk to someone and they could help you figure out what you want for your post-military life?”
They were back to therapy. “I don’t know how comfortable I would be.”
“A therapist isn’t there to tell you things. They’re there to help you figure things out. You talk and they listen without any kind of judgment. You can say anything to your therapist, and it’s weird how opening those doors frees something inside. You are a person who likes to fix things. You don’t flinch from it. When you got the cancer diagnosis, you did what you had to do.”
“My childhood wasn’t a cancer.” But the minute the words were out of her mouth, she was questioning them.
“It’s eating away at your potential for happiness, so I think it is, and you need to treat it.” There were tears in her sister’s eyes now. “I hope you will, and I hope that you open that envelope and it leads you somewhere new. But here’s my promise. Even if you don’t do any of those things, I will be here. I will love you. I will be your sister no matter what you decide. Now eat your sandwich and I’m going to get your meds.”
“I can…” Elisa stopped. She could get her own meds, and the impulse to view her sister’s offer as an offense was what pushed her over the edge.
Did she want to live her mother’s life? The one that allowed no kindness and harbored no real love?
“Thank you, Sabrina.” She reached for the envelope. “I appreciate it. And let me know if I can help you with dinner.”