Page 113 of A Matter of Time

“I mean, what is she going to say? What do I want her to say? What does it matter? My parents, the ones who raised me, are my parents. That will never change. She gave birth to me, but it doesn’t make her my mother.”

“No, it doesn’t.”

“I was polite. I listened to what she said, and I did the right thing and told her that none of it mattered and that everything turned out all right.”

“Did you meet your father too?”

“I did. He looked terrible.”

“I feel sorry for him. He didn’t even get a say in whether to keep you or not.”

“No, he didn’t.”

“What did he say?”

“Something very similar to what you just said, actually.”

“Huh.”

“He wants to come here and visit me.”

“Oh. That’s interesting. What’d you say?”

“I said we would see.”

“Do you look like him?”

“A bit. They showed me family photos, and I actually look like his father.”

“He must be gorgeous.”

“Oh?”

“Stop. You know what you look like.”

“Do I?”

I motioned for him to continue.

Flashing smile then, eyes firing as he spoke. “Are you embarrassed?”

“Can you just go on before I kill you?”

“Not very friendly.”

“Please,” I snapped at him.

“We talked some more, and I told them both that if there was anything I could do for either of them, they shouldn’t hesitate to call me.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“Did you stay for dinner?”

“I did not, no.”

“Did they invite you?”