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“A cousin who is in her sixties.” The lawyer glanced between them. “Look, I know this is a shock for both of you. And I understand you feel there has been a serious mistake made. If you’ll give me the name of the lab you want to deal with, I will make arrangements for Emma to be tested along with you. But in the meantime, Deidre had one more request.”
“What is it?” Aidan asked, suddenly afraid that it might be some sort of burial request since she had no family. He didn’t want to put Grace through anything more than was necessary.
“Deidre put together a video of Emma’s life over the past four years. It’s simply a visual portrait of a little girl who was the light of her mother’s life. They were very close and Emma is a beautiful little girl. Deidre wasn’t certain how you’d respond to her last wishes and so she requested that you watch the video before you left my office. It won’t take long.”
He opened a drawer and brought out a laptop, setting it on the desk in front of Aidan and Grace. A few clicks and the screen glowed blue before the picture of a newborn appeared. “I’ll leave you to watch the video and be back in a few minutes.”
Unable to stop himself, Aidan leaned toward the screen. Slowly photos emerged, showing an infant asleep in her car seat, followed by her first steps and her wide smile, dressed in a Halloween teddy bear costume. A woman’s voice, carefully modulated, yet warm and upbeat, filled the room.
“Is that Deidre speaking?” Grace asked.
A chill ran along his shoulders. It felt as if Deidre were in the room. “Yes, I believe so… It’s been a while.” He would have recognized her voice anywhere. It was such a distinct mix of Southern drawl and New England twang.
“The child is so sweet.” Grace sighed. “How lucky she was to have such a beautiful baby girl.”
Slowly the images shifted to show the home she lived in, the front steps and the street in front of Deidre’s house. There were closer shots showing Emma’s rosy complexion and her glossy red curls. Aidan recognized the backgrounds in the photos—all were places around Deidre’s home and office.
Grace took his hand. “Have you seen any of these before?”
“No. Never,” Aidan said as the video showed Emma in a pink party dress, her red curls framing her face. There was something so familiar about her, about the way she cocked her head and smiled at the camera. Deidre could be heard in the background wishing Emma a happy third birthday.
The camera panned close, so that Emma’s face filled the screen. Aidan stared for a minute, slowly becoming aware of something he couldn’t mistake for anything other than what it was.
“Aidan. Look!” Grace cried. “She’s got the same cleft in her chin as you have. And her smile. Oh, God. Aidan. Her smile is yours.”
Aidan swallowed against the impact of the little girl’s face. She did have his chin… “A lot of people have the same feature. Let’s not jump to conclusions.” Fear mixed with foreboding clutched his heart. He moved his chair closer to Grace’s and pulled her hand into his lap. “This little girl is beautiful, but she could be anyone’s little girl,” he said, unable to grasp the truth of what he’d seen a few minutes ago.
The next photo was of Emma hugging a large teddy bear. Deidre’s voice could be heard once again. “Aidan, if you’re watching this, it means I am gone. I need you to care for our daughter. I had the DNA testing done just a few months after Emma was born. There is no doubt that you’re the father. Emma has your smile, your curls and that cute little cleft in her chin. My last wish is that you provide her with a loving home and care for her in my stead.”
