Page 278 of Fame & Chaos

“Yeah.” I lean back against the couch, trying to process it myself. “I don’t know whether I should message Annie.”

Indi thinks about it for a second. “I honestly don’t know. A message might remind her you’ve got her back…” she shrugs. “… or it could be one more thing she has to deal with right now.”

I nod slowly. “I think I’ll leave it for the moment. I’ll message her later when we know more. I don’t want to make things harder for her.”

My thoughts drift. “I’m worried about Ella too. This has to be affecting her just as much.”

Indi looks up at me and nods. “Yeah. It’ll be hard for both of them.” She pauses. “Being adopted isn’t easy.”

I draw in a slow breath as I think about my cousins.

No matter what happens next…

Their lives are about to change forever.

***

I waited a day before giving in.

I wanted to call Annie, but I was worried I’d catch her at the wrong time and make things worse, so I rang Aston instead. He told me they were waiting on the results of a maternity test to find out whether Loretta Banks really is Annie’s birth mother. Three days, and they’d have their answer.

Talking to him didn’t settle my nerves.

According to Aston, Loretta looked like she’d walked straight off The Jerry Springer Show. He didn’t trust her, and no one else did either.

Everyone except Annie.

She wants this woman to be real so badly.

To finally have the answers she’s been searching for all her life.

How could she not?

Part of me feels guilty for staying away, but this is immediate family territory. If Colt, Dee, or Annie needed me, they’d ask.

So instead, I stayed home with Indi, who explained how maternity testing worked, which, unsurprisingly, was more complicated than I’d guessed. Having a nurse for a girlfriend definitely has its perks.

I also called Colt to ask whether there was anything I could do.

He told me to sit tight. If Annie needed me, he’d let me know.

He also said something that stuck with me, ‘She looks at you like you’re her brother.’

Those words only made it harder to stay away.

But they need me to wait, so I waited.

Three days later, Indi and I are sitting on the couch after another phone call with Colt.

Nothing’s changed.

They’re still waiting.

My mind keeps drifting to Annie… and to Ella.

If Annie’s birth mother really has come back into her life, what does that stir up for Ella? Does it make her wonder about her own birth parents all over again?

I hate that they’re both carrying so much.