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“I bet.”
While my father and I had exchanged several emails, we hadn’t yet talked on the phone, and I didn’t know what it would be like to see him in person. “Finding out he’s innocent... It’s just such a sense of freedom I can’t even begin to explain it.”
“I imagine so.”
The distance in her voice reminded me that my father’s release didn’t change the circumstances surrounding her own biological father. The fact remained that she’d been conceived during a rape.
“What about you, Lia? How are you feeling about everything?”
She offered a brave smile. “I’m happy for you.”
“I know you are. I appreciate that, but are you doing okay?”
“I am. Talking to Wayne Junior helped me put everything into perspective.”
“Wait. You talked to Wayne Junior? When?”
She smiled. “The other night. I finally broke down and called him.”
“Oh, wow. What’d he say?”
“He said a lot. We actually ended up talking for over three hours the first night and several hours since then. He’s a very sweet man. We even video-chatted so we could see each other in person. I met his wife. She’s adorable and super sweet.”
“Lia, that’s wonderful. Are you going to get together with them in person?”
“I hope so. They live in Texas, so it’s little difficult. Plus...” She took a hand off the steering wheel and gently rubbed her belly, which was expanding by the minute. “I have a lot going on right now, you know?”
“I do.”
“I’m really glad I reached out to Wayne. It helped me know I’m not alone.”
I squeezed her arm. “You’re never alone. You have your parents and me and Troy. We’re all here for you. And Caleb and Ryan too. They love their Auntie Lia and can’t wait to meet their new baby cousins.”
“Thanks, Brandy. I also...” She offered a mischievous smile.
“You also what?” I asked.
“I also have Oliver.”
“You do?”
She nodded. “We’ve been talking on the phone.”
“What? You have? Why didn’t you mention this to me? And how did that happen? Did you call him, or did he call you?”
She laughed. “My mom did. Or rather she reached out to him and told him he was being stupid.”
“That sounds like your mom.”
“Anyway, after my mom talked to him, he called me and explained why he didn’t believe me at first.”
“And why is that?” I suddenly felt incredibly protective of my younger cousin.
“It’s a long story, but basically, he had leukemia when he was in his twenties. After that, the doctor told him that he couldn’t have children. He tried with his ex-wife, but it never worked out for them.”
“Oh, wow.”
“Yeah. So when I showed up, insisting he’d gotten me pregnant, he didn’t believe me.”
