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ChapterFifty-One
Kane
Iwas happily surprised that Brie’s parents had arrived. Since we had only met once on a Zoom call, I was eager to spend time with them.
“Hey, I’m going to hang out with Conner and Alexandria in the game room. Is that okay?” Brie’s blue eyes filled with so much excitement I would have given her the moon if she’d asked.
“Of course. I’ll stay and talk to your parents, get to know them better.”
Brie, Conner, and Alexandria excused themselves from the table, then raced out and up the stairs. Laughter filled the home, breathing new life into the holiday.
I leaned back in the chair, my attention sweeping over Rodger, Carolyn, and my parents. Silence filled the room as everyone stared at me, and my jaw clenched. I pulled in a deep breath, trying to steady my galloping heart and collect my next words, but I wasn’t sure there was any other way to articulate it.
“Is Conner mine?” I asked, my throat tight with nerves.
Carolyn and Rodger looked at each other for a moment.
“As soon as we met you over the video call, and Brie explained how you two knew each other, we wondered, too,” Carolyn shared.
“He looks just like you,” Mom said, her voice hushed.
“We definitely can’t deny that.” Dad wiped his mouth and tossed the navy linen napkin on his empty plate.
My brain scrambled for the details, then I said, “We were young, and birth control wasn’t allowed in the cult. Brie and I had been together a handful of times before I helped her escape. The timeline adds up.” I scrubbed my face with my palms, trying to wrap my mind around the strong possibility that I was a father at the age of twenty. As a lightbulb went off in my head, my brows shot up to my hairline. “Brie introduced him as her brother. She doesn’t know?” I jumped out of my chair, pacing the length of the table. “Holy crap.”
“When we found her and took her to the hospital, she was badly bruised on the inside of her thigh. She agreed to a rape kit, but Brie had absolutely zero understanding of what that even meant. I stayed with her and held her hand the entire time. Unfortunately, all they could confirm was that yes, someone had raped her, but she wouldn’t talk. Brie looked at us, terrified and trembling.”
Tears clouded my vision. The Langstons confirmed the suspicion I had when Brie shared the contents of the box.
“When the results came back from the rape kit, the doctors confirmed that she was pregnant. The police and the Department of Human Services agreed that we could take her home and care for her while they searched for her family. They suspected that Brie learned she was pregnant, then ran away. As you already know, her parents weren’t ever located until Wagner was released from prison. May he rot in hell,” Rodger said. “My apologies, I shouldn’t have said that in front of everyone.”
Dad barked out a laugh. “You mean the evil, sorry son of a bitch?”
Rodger nodded. “That.”
As much as I appreciated Dad momentarily putting everyone at ease, I tried to breathe past the agony but couldn’t. It hammered me into the ground, stealing every ounce of strength. Hadn’t Brie been through enough? Why had the past continued to throw us curveballs when we were both finally happy?
Rain pattered softly against the dining room windowpanes, and the drops slid down the glass like tears. Even Mother Nature was grieving with me.
“Right before Wagner died, he admitted to stealing Brie from her mom. Does anyone have a clue who her mom is?”
“No, but she might want to do a genealogy test to see if she can find some of her blood relatives. We’ve never discussed it with her, though. There was just always something more important, like helping her with the night terrors,” Carolyn explained.
“That makes sense, but I’m struggling with something. Wouldn’t Brie have remembered having a baby?” Frustrated and confused, I gripped the back of the chair.
“Her amnesia blocked out everything, including the c-section. When she was diagnosed, we felt it would be better to tell her Conner was her little brother. He was already family and so was she. After working with a therapist, we all agreed that it was the best way not to traumatize her even more, and at the same time, care for our grandson. In our mind, they were ours.”
“We feel the same about Kane,” Mom added, taking Dad’s hand.
I rubbed my eyes, thinking about what to do next. “What do I need to do to find out one way or the other?”
“Are you open to a paternity test?” Rodger asked.
“Of course. And honestly, he looks exactly like me when I was younger, so I think it’s just a formality.” I massaged the back of my neck in an attempt to soothe the tight muscles. “Once we know for sure, then we can decide the next steps, I guess. I have no idea how I’m going to keep this from Brie until we have more information. She’s smart; she’ll sense something is wrong.”
“I’m happy to pay for an expedited test,” Dad said. “It’s been hell to figure out what’s best in this situation, and even though we’ve worked with a therapist over the years and took their suggestions, I still wonder every day if we made the right decision.” He blew out a tired sigh. “The sooner we have results, the sooner we can decide what to do. Is it best for Conner to continue to think Brie is his sister? If he’s Kane’s, where will he live? Amelia and I would want to be in his life on a regular basis, so how would that work with us across the country?”
“Honey.” Mom patted Dad’s hand. “I think you’re verbalizing everyone’s thoughts, but let’s take one step at a time. First, we need to collect Conner’s DNA in a way that won’t raise suspicions. If Brie suspects a connection, she hasn’t said anything.”
