Not vaguely.
I realized he looked like my son.
Not in the sense that he reminded me of someone, but in a way that made me uneasy. He had the same sidelong glance, the same hunched shoulders, as if he were protecting himself from a wind that no one else could feel.
For half a second, I thought I saw a version of my son from the future. A ghost, a warning… something unusual.
« Can I help you? » I asked, getting out of the car, one hand on the open door.
I thought I saw a version of my son from the future.
» I hope so. «
He turned towards me and gave me a small nod.
« Do I know you? » I asked, already dreading the answer.
« No, » he replied softly. « But I think you know my son. »
« Do I know you? »
These words made no sense. They bumped against my mind without staying there. My voice was higher than I intended.
« You must explain this to me. »
« My name is Spencer, » he said. « And I believe I’m Liam’s father. Biologically. »
I felt something inside me tighten. The sidewalk tilted beneath my feet. I tightened my grip on the car door.
These words made no sense.
These words made no sense.
« You’re mistaken. That’s impossible. Liam is my son. »
« I am… Listen. I’m certain of it. I am Liam’s father. »
« I think you should leave, » I told him.
The man didn’t move an inch. Instead, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out an ordinary white envelope.
« Liam is my son. »
« I didn’t want to start like this, Caleb, » he said, « but I provided evidence. »
« I don’t want it. I just want you to leave. My family is already incomplete without my wife. You can’t take my son away from me. I don’t care about your story. I don’t care if there’s proof or not. »
« I understand… but you should see it. »
« I just want you to leave. »
I didn’t answer. I simply turned around, opened the door, and let him in.
We sat down at the kitchen table, the one Katie had chosen when we were still making plans. The air felt heavy, as if the pressure had shifted.
I opened the envelope with numb fingers.
I didn’t reply.
Inside was a paternity test with my name and Katie’s name. And hers.
Spencer.
And there you have it: clear, clinical, and definitive.
Spencer was the father of my son, with a DNA match of 99.8%.
I had the impression that the room had tilted, but nothing around me was moving.
Spencer was the father of my son, with a DNA match of 99.8%.
Spencer was sitting opposite me without saying a word. His hands were clasped in front of him, his knuckles pale.
« She never told me, » he finally said. « Not while she was alive. But I recently contacted her sister… I saw that she had posted a photo with Liam on social media. And look, he looks like me. »
« Laura? » I asked, squinting.
« She never told me. »
Did my sister-in-law know? Who else knew that my wife was cheating on me?
« She replied to my message. She told me that Katie had given her something a long time ago, with instructions. It was something I was supposed to see. But Laura didn’t know how to find me at the time, and Katie had asked her not to get involved. So she waited. Until now. »
« And why now? »
« Because of that photo, Caleb, » he repeated. « I didn’t even know Katie had a child. But her face… I couldn’t ignore it. So I found her. I asked her. »
Who else knew that my wife was cheating on me?
Spencer reached into his pocket and pulled out a second envelope.
« Katie gave this to Laura. She told her that… only if I ever showed up, she had to give it to you. She didn’t want to hurt you, unless… »
I took it from her hand. My name was written in Katie’s hand, in that neat, loopy cursive handwriting she used when she really meant every word she wrote.
See more on the next page
