Page 106 of Turning Back

“Yup, I’m right behind you.”

Quin’s car—Rochelle’s, really, since that’s the one with the baby seat in it—is parked in a spot right next to the emergency dropoff. My car is down a ways, so I tuck my hands into my pockets and head the other direction.

“Bric,” someone calls my name. “Bric, wait!”

I turn around to find Lucinda following me. Jesus Christ. Just go away.

“Do you have a second?” she asks. “Just a second,” she says again, coming up to me a little out of breath. “I just wanted to see how everyone’s doing. I’ve been meaning to call. Drop by.” She waves her hand in the air and smiles. “How’s Rochelle doing?”

“Great,” I say. “Just fine.”

“And this new… ah… arrangement the three of you have? That’s going over well? With Quin?”

“Why would you even ask that? Quin’s always been a part of—” I almost say the game. But it’s not a game. “Our relationship. It’s a relationship now, Lucinda.”

“Do you think that’s wise?” she says. “Considering… well, you know. The reason she left in the first place?”

“Look, Lucinda, I know it was pretty confusing last year for Rochelle. Quin rejected her and she was pregnant. Her leaving devastated him, but we’ve worked through it. We’ve decided to parent Adley all together. We’re in a real relationship now. And no, we don’t know which of us is the father, OK? Jesus Christ. Why can’t people just mind their own business? We’re not getting the test. Everything is great. We don’t want to know.”

“So… you guys are OK with that… other thing?”

“What?”

“I’m sorry,” she says, shaking her head a little. “I feel like we’re not on the same page here. Did Rochelle tell you why she left?”

“We all know why she left, Lucinda. She was pregnant.”

“Well, yes. She was pregnant. And yes, it was confusing since she was sleeping with both of you at the time. But… there was another… matter.” As soon as she finishes her sentence, Lucinda realizes she’s at her limit. She’s not allowed to talk about anything Rochelle told her in confidence. She made that very clear to me when I asked her about Rochelle again last fall. So her tone changes. “She didn’t mention that, did she?”

“What matter? What the fuck are you talking about?”

“I’m sorry,” Lucinda says. “I’m totally out of line here. I’m wasting your time. But please, tell Rochelle to call me.” She stresses those words. Call me. “I think we need to talk.”

She turns around and walks away, leaving me standing out in the cold night, speechless, confused, and, if I’m being honest, upset.

What the hell was that all about?

Chapter Twenty-Five - Quin

By the time we get home, Adley is exhausted and ready for bed. “She should sleep with us,” I say, taking off my coat and grabbing Rochelle’s to hang it up.

“Yes,” Rochelle agrees, kissing Adley’s flushed face. She’s still red. And the hives are still there, but not as bad as they were before. The doctor thinks it will go away in a few days as long as she doesn’t scratch it. They put some cream on it to prevent that. “I can’t even think about leaving her alone in that bedroom.”

She walks off towards the bedroom and leaves me behind.

I really fucked this up. I feel terrible. My first night alone with my daughter and it ends with a trip to the hospital. I didn’t even get to make a video. I totally had that planned, but I forgot. I didn’t get one picture to commemorate our night together, let alone a video. And we did a lot of stuff together before I practically killed her.

Bric didn’t forget.

Mango allergy.

I’m not a doctor. I’ve got no idea how allergies work, but pretty much everyone knows they are hereditary.

This whole time I’ve been convinced Adley is my daughter. One hundred percent. Hell, I even talked myself into believing she had my eyes.

I slump down into one of the chairs in front of the window, trying to come to terms with this new development.

If it turns out Bric is the father… what will happen to us?