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Agatha laughed at her reaction and shook her head. “You think we share a father but not the identical twins?”
“So, nobody?” Buzz surmised, because the twins, of course, shared a father. Even Judith couldn’t break that rule.
“And nobody is Dad’s. He knew it the whole time, but Judith had something over him that made him accept every one of us. Not love us, but accept us. Then he walked away the moment he felt he could.”
“How do you even know?”
“Dad told me.” She shrugged, as if their dad had been all chatty about things.
“You are such a liar. I can’t even believe I believed you for even a second. You were eleven when he left. Why would he tell you anything?” Harper demanded of Agatha.
“Because I asked why none of us looked alike. He answered,” Agatha said and headed for the door. “If you want him as your daddy, he is. Because he’s as close as you will ever get to your actual one.”
With that, Agatha was out the door and stomping up the steps to her room, the heavy footfalls announcing to the house that she was not accepting company for the rest of the evening.
“Do you believe her?” Buzz asked.
“I don’t know. Probably. Then again, it doesn’t matter. Like she said, there isn’t going to be some guy who will actually want the job now.”
“Do you think he thinks about us as much as we think about him?” Buzz asked, sitting back on the bed, realizing how much time she had spent wondering about her birth parents over the years.
“I don’t know. Maybe.” Harper turned to her.
“Do you think he would have been happier never knowing about his kid? That it was just something that tied him to a woman he hated and nothing else? Just a reminder of a bad time? One he couldn’t even bring himself to love?” Buzz whispered, a tear slipping from her eye as she curled into a ball on her bed.
“Buzzy, what are you talking about?” Harper sat back down.
“I’m pregnant, and I know the father hates me—hates me a lot. He’s going to hate the baby too, just like Dad did.” She wiped away the tears in anger.
“Or he could be waiting for you to make the first move because he’s as scared of rejection as you are. Baby Buzzy makes the perfect excuse to reach out.” Harper tapped Buzz’s stomach again.
“He isn’t. You didn’t see his eyes when he said I was just like Judith. He hates me, and he’s right. I am just like her.” Buzz buried her head in the pillow.
“You are if you never actually tell a man he is the daddy and give him the option of being a daddy. Because in twenty-some years, do you want your daughter to be having this same talk with someone about who her dad is and if he loved her or even wanted her? Or if her mom robbed her of that relationship for being scared?” Harper started to braid Buzz’s hair as she talked. It was something she used to do before Sera came to live with them.
“I’m not scared. I know the answer,” she admitted but didn’t move. If she moved, Harper would stop.
“Then do the right thing and tell him. If he doesn’t want the baby, have him put that on paper. Baby Buzz is going to want proof someday. After all, she is the daughter of a great reporter.” Harper’s fingers stopped braiding and pulled her hair until Buzz had to slap her hands away.
“You’re right. Legally, I have to give him an out.” Buzz nodded; she had to let him decide, let him be the one to reject his child. She couldn’t do that for him.
“Of course, I’m right; I’m Harper.” She slapped Buzz on the ass and walked from the room. Then poked her head back in and added, “I put some leftovers in the fridge for you swinging singles.”
With that, Harper was gone, and the house was silent again. Lucy was either out or quiet in her room. Agatha was in her room, but just as quiet.
Buzz headed down to the couch and TV to get away from the suddenly too quiet house. She was starting to dislike the house for its constant silence. She missed what it used to be like, even if she had no place to sleep. At least then, there was no silence.
