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Tess lived in a modern, high-rise building in the Loop that turned out to be only a short walk from mine. I was a little unnerved to discover we’d been living so close to each other. Did we frequent the same coffee shop? Get takeout from the same restaurants? Jog the same route along the Riverwalk? How many times had I passed her on the street without even noticing?
The doorman sent me up to Tess’s seventh floor apartment, and I paused on her doorstep to shrug off my coat, taking a second to collect myself before knocking.
She opened the door dressed in workout clothes—a white athletic jacket over a light blue top and matching leggings—with her hair pulled back in a neat ponytail. “Thank you for coming,” she said as she took my coat and hung it on a rack by the door. “I wasn’t sure you’d show.”
The dig about my lack of dependability needled at my already brittle nerves. “IsaidI would,” I shot back in irritation.
“Would you like a drink?” she offered, ignoring my peevishness.
“No, I’d like you to get to the point.”
She gestured to the couch. “Sit down.”
Her apartment was small and tidy, with floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a view of the surrounding high-rises. The living room held two upholstered chairs and a pristine white sofa arranged around a compact oval coffee table.
I did as requested, perching on the couch and rubbing my hands on my thighs. I’d come straight over after work without changing, and the combination of the brisk walk and my nerves had me sweating inside my wool suit jacket. I considered taking it off, but I dearly hoped I wouldn’t be here that long.
Tess sat in one of the chairs across from me, her posture even more rigid than usual and her hands folded in her lap as she rubbed her fingers over her knuckles. She was nervous, I realized as she regarded me without speaking. Trying to work herself up to saying whatever she’d asked me here to say.
My attitude softened in the face of her apparent difficulty even as my anxiety increased. “Is this about what I think it’s about?”
She nodded, looking relieved that I’d been the first to acknowledge the elephant in the room. “A few years ago, after my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, I signed up for one of those DNA testing services that assesses your genetic health risks. But they also offer family tree tracing that can match you with relatives who share a common ancestor.” She paused, letting this sink in and giving me time to prepare myself for what was inevitably coming next.
I swallowed around the lump that had formed in my throat. “Go on.”
“Last week, I received a message from someone who said my DNA profile had been matched to hers as a probable close relative. Her name is Erin. She was born in October of 1989 and put up for adoption.” Tess hesitated, pressing her lips together. “We’re her birth parents.”
“It was a girl?” My voice cracked, and I cleared my throat. “The baby was a girl?”
Tess looked surprised by my question. “Yes.”
My shoulders sagged as I let out an unsteady breath. “You never told me that.”
She lifted her chin, her eyes narrowing in accusation. “You never asked.”
I gave her a long, hard look before responding. “You made it pretty clear you didn’t want me to ask.”
When Tess didn’t say anything in response to this, I got up and walked to the window, turning my back on her as I rubbed both my hands over my face. “Do you think I could have that drink after all?”
“Of course.” I heard her get up and walk into the kitchen. “Would you like wine? Or something stronger?”
“Something stronger, please.” I unbuttoned the collar of my shirt and yanked my tie loose.
A minute later she appeared at my side and handed me a tumbler of brown liquid.
“Thank you.” I sniffed it as she sat back down. “Irish whiskey?”
“Teeling.”
I gulped down a mouthful before taking my seat on the couch again. I ran a hand through my hair. “I’m sorry, I’m just—I didn’t think I’d be this emotional when it happened.”
She looked surprised again. “You expected this to happen?”
“I knew it was a possibility. Especially after Illinois unsealed original birth certificates in 2011. I’ve always wondered if one day a child I’d never known would come looking for me.”
“I didn’t realize you ever thought about it.”
My eyes snapped to hers. “Of course I did. For Christ’s sake.”
