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“So did I.”
They both dug around in their purses. Dani pulled out a small but full photo album. She shoved the album across the table to Gia. “That about covers my life, newborn through high school, with a smattering of college and vet school.” She smiled fondly. “My folks are big on capturing the moment—every moment.”
“I hear you.” Gia produced her own album, which was more neatly organized but equally thick. “I had to pull out the baby bathtub and changing table shots. Way too embarrassing.”
The girls shared a laugh.
Fifteen minutes later, they weren’t laughing or even exchanging lighthearted chatter. They were soberly comparing photo albums, staring at pictures that were eerily similar to each other. The girls in those photos—whether as babies, toddlers, young girls, teens, or adults—were almost identical, not just in appearance but in facial expressions, unconscious hand gestures and body motions, everything down to the space between their two front teeth that had required braces to fix.
Gia broke the silence, her voice shaky: “I’m starting to freak out.”
Dani nodded, white-faced, as she continued to compare two photos of two little girls in Brownie uniforms, smiling their pre-orthodontic smiles. Finally, she placed the pictures on the table and interlaced her fingers in front of her. “There’s no point in trying to explain this away. Whatever ties we have are real. The question is, what are we going to do about it?”
“I’m a get-it-done-now person, Dani.” Gia was a wreck, but she held Dani’s gaze as she spoke. “I vote for a DNA test. We can Google the closest testing center and go there tomorrow. I don’t know how long the results take to come back or—”
“That’s what the Internet’s for.” Dani was already using the browser on her cell phone, entering key words into Google. “Where’s White Plains?” she asked. “Or New Rochelle? They both have testing centers.”
“I grew up in New Rochelle,” Gia replied. “My whole family still lives there. So that location is out. We’ll do White Plains. It’s closer anyway—just ten minutes away. What time do they open?”
“W
ait.” Dani held up her hand as she scanned the information. “It says you need an appointment and a doctor’s prescription.” She frowned. “We don’t have either. It shows places you can order DNA test kits from, but that will take time. Apparently, even drugstores carry them now, but you still need medical authorization. More time. More hassle.”
“I don’t want to wait.”
“Neither do I.” Dani continued scrolling down on her phone. Abruptly, she stopped. “There’s a place in Manhattan that has a doctor on site to issue the prescription. One-stop shopping for DNA testing. But we still need an appointment.”
“What time do they open?”
“Nine a.m.”
“We’ll be there at eight forty-five. We’ll tell them the truth—that you’re only in town for a day. We’ll appeal to them on every level possible. We’ll offer to pay them extra if we have to. I do this kind of thing for a living. I’ll find a way to make it happen.” Gia’s voice had steadied. She was all bulldozer now, ready to take on the world and win. “We’ll get this ball rolling first thing tomorrow.”
“Agreed.” Dani looked equally resolute. “And while we’re at it, let’s have them do the whole gamut of testing—from distant genetic ties to a much closer link, like siblings.” A long pause. “Or twins. No matter how impossible it seems—Gia, I need to know for sure.”
“So do I.” There was no hesitation on Gia’s part. “I assume it’s the same one-time mouth swab. If it’s multiple swabs, then fine. Either way, the lab does the rest. It’ll come down to how extensive and costly the testing is. And regardless of the price, it’s worth it. So we’ll check every box on the form.”
“I’m in. Whatever it costs, it costs.” Dani took a gulp of beer—one that would do nothing except quench her thirst. “I’m not discussing this with my parents,” she stated flatly. “Not until we have results and not unless those results confirm we’re related. I don’t want to upset them that way.”
Again, Gia nodded. “My parents would fall to pieces if they even set eyes on you, much less knowing our plan. I’ll go to them if and only if there’s something for us to discuss.” She polished off her own beer and then tossed her napkin on the table, leaving half her burger untouched. “Sorry. I’ve kind of lost my appetite.”
“So have I.” Dani pushed aside her pizza. “Why don’t we call it a night?”
Seeing the expression on Dani’s face, Gia felt a pang of regret. They’d planned two days of fun and bonding, and instead they were dealing with a sober, life-altering matter.
“Dani.” Gia’s innate calming skills kicked in. “We’ll take the test. But whatever our answers are, we won’t know them for days, after which, we’ll deal with whatever we have to. In the meantime, let’s not waste this mini-vacation of yours. Let’s walk out of that testing center, take a deep breath, and go do all the things we talked about—from the shopping and sightseeing to dinner and a club. And let’s do it like carefree kids.”
Gia’s words put a smile back on Dani’s face. “You’re good, Ms. Wedding Planner. I feel better already. So, you’re on. We’ll take care of business and then give the Big Apple and our credit cards a run for their money.”
* * *
The man pulled his baseball cap down low on his forehead as he watched them leave the Pub, climb into Gia’s car, and drive away. He turned over his ignition and followed at a respectable distance. Seeing where they were headed, he made his phone call.
“Dinner’s over and they’re heading back to her apartment,” he reported. “Tonight’s a bad idea. Suburb is way too quiet. That means too many nosy neighbors vying to be Good Samaritans on TV news. Tomorrow, they’ll be in the city, swallowed up by the crowds and urban indifference. I’ll take care of it then.”
CHAPTER 14
Doing the DNA tests had taken far less time than Gia’s convincing the center to accommodate them without an appointment.
