“Yes, sir.Would you like to schedule an appointment to discuss them with one of our techs?”
“Please,” Daniela says.“Just tell me over the phone.I need to know, and I need to know now.”
“Of course, Ms.Agudelo.We’ll just need to verify your identity with our records.If you can turn your phone on, we’ll send you a link through text message.You’ll confirm your address and other information so we can be sure this is you.”
Daniela takes her phone off airplane mode, and a second later it dings with a text.“Is this you?”She rattles the phone number off.
“Yes, ma’am.Click the link and fill out the information form.If we’re all squared away, I can give you the results.”
Daniela fills out the form, which includes her taking a selfie to verify her identity facially.“Okay,” she says.“All done.”
“Excellent.One moment.”The sound of keys clacking in the background.“Yes.We’re all set.I have to ask one more time just in case you’ve changed your mind.Would you like to receive your results over the phone?”
“For God’s sake, yes.”
“Excellent.Just one moment.”Shuffling of papers.My heart squeezes in my chest, and I look into Daniela’s eyes.
“Whatever the results are, I’m going have that sapphire set into the most beautiful setting, add a huge-ass diamond to it, and support you in every way all of my days.”I squeeze her hand.“That’s a promise.”
She smiles.“I know.And I’m not frightened anymore.”
“Here it is,” Tricia says.“Apologies for the delay.Sometimes our computer freezes up.”
“What’s the result?”Daniela asks.She smiles at me.
“I’m happy to report that you tested negative for the Huntington’s gene, Ms.Agudelo.”
My heart soars.
I did it.I fixed everything.
Well, I didn’t fix Daniela’s blood.That was just me correcting a lie her father told her years ago.But I got her in the door, got her tested.And the tests came out the way we wanted.
“I don’t have it at all?”Daniela asks.“So there’s no chance I’ll pass it on to any children I might have?”
“That is correct, Ms.Agudelo.”
She beams, and tears start streaming down her face.“I can be a mother!Belinda can have a baby sister!”
We’ll have to reverse her tubal ligation, but that was the least of our worries.Daniela is young, so there’s an eighty percent chance the reversal will take.And even if it doesn’t, there’s always invitro.The Huntington’s was the big hurdle to get over.Everything else is small potatoes compared to it.
“Thank you very much, Tricia,” I say into the phone.“We’re very happy to hear this result.”
“I’m sure you are, Mr.Bellamy.We will call later to schedule a second blood test just to make sure, but a reversal of the initial test result is extremely rare.Please give your father our best wishes as he recovers.”
The line goes dead, and a tiny dart of coldness pierces the ecstasy in my heart.
My father.Rosen said they owed him a favor.That’s how they got the result in so quickly.
What the hell was he doing helping out a genetic testing lab?
It could be nothing.It probably is.He probably made some big donation to one of their charity wings.I was thinking about starting a Huntington’s research charity myself.Maybe grow a branch off Raven’s foundation.Or I’ll make a big fucking donation to one of them myself.
I don’t give a fuck about my father right now.What matters is that Daniela—the love of my life, myfiancée—is happy and healthy.Belinda is happy and healthy.My siblings are happy and healthy.
Everything worked out perfectly.
Everything isfixed.
