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“I’ve changed my mind,” I say before I can talk myself out of it. “I want to take it,” I say and stick my hand out.
“Okay, here you go,” she says and then points me in the direction of the bathroom.
DISTRACTED
HAYES
“Hayes, good morning,” Amelia’s graver than-normal voice makes me wish I had ignored her call. I finish tying the laces of my sneakers and sit down on the bed.
“Your voice makes me think there’s nothing good about this particular Saturday morning, so let’s just cut straight to the chase,” I tell her.
“Your uncle and stepmother are mounting a petition to have you ousted as chairman of the board,” she says.
“You’re kidding,” I say and drop my forehead into my hand. That rat faced motherfucker. I’ve been treating him with kid gloves. But they’re about to come off.
“Hayes?” Amelia calls my name when I don’t say anything more.
“Can they do it?” I ask.
“Well, yes. Clearly, because they have,” she says.
“No, I mean, is there a way to remove me? I thought it was a position I held until death,” I said.
“Normally, that is the case. But there’s a clause for removal if you are unfit to hold the role. That is the clause they have evoked,” she says.
“Unfit?” I breathe into the phone in complete indignation. “In what way? By what measure?” I demand.
“By reason of illegitimacy,” she says slowly. Meaningfully.
“Illegitimacy?” I ask.
“Yes. Hayes. They’re demanding a DNA test and I would suggest you comply without any protest.”
“I don’t understand,” I say. “A DNA test for what? That would only help them if I wasn’t my father’s son,” I say angrily.
Amelia is silent.
“Are they implying I’m not my father’s son?” I demand an answer, but my throat is dry and my heart is beating faster now.
“That’s exactly what they’re implying,” she says.
“Based on what?”
“Based on what they say is a discrepancy between your mother’s medical records and death certificate. I don’t know what that means, do you?” she asks pointedly.
“Of course not. That’s ridiculous. I’ll take the DNA test today. Shut this shit down now and then I’m done playing nice with him,” I say.
“Okay. You can be done playing nice with him. But Hayes, is there any way at all, that the paternity test could come back anything other than what you expect? This is an extraordinary move they’ve made. If it’s a Hail Mary, it’s a hell of a gamble.”
“I have a birth certificate with my parents’ names on it. I have the same blood type. I look just like my father and my grandfather. This is ridiculous. It’s an attempt to embarrass me. Send me the details on when and where I can take the test. The sooner the better and I want those results expedited.” I glance down at my watch. I’m late meeting Confidence, and I almost want to text her and ask her to meet me back at her place, but I’m not going to let this asshole ruin more than he’s already tried to.
“I’ll send you the court order. I advise you go to a random lab instead of your doctor for the test. Just to avoid any questions about tampering or manipulation of their process.”
“Fine. I’ll be looking for it. I’ve gotta go,” I say before I hang up.
I should have thanked her. That couldn’t have been an easy call to make. My mind is reeling. My uncle must really hate me to have done this. A paternity test. It’s ridiculous.
And yet … my mind is not easy. I have a kernel of dread in my gut that I will ignore until I don’t have to. But it’s burrowed itself into the lining of my life; its sharp, thorn-like tip burns as it embeds itself into the story of my life. And with every step I take, it burrows deeper and it feeds on years of being denied my rightful place at the head of this family. I’ve been too soft. I’ve been distracted by my feelings. I feel a wash of shame. I’ve had my eye off the ball trying to win Confidence back. I should have seen this coming. I let a woman pull me off course once, and I lost pieces of my legacy that my father scarified for. And I’m letting it happen again.
