LaGuardia International Airport
East Elmhurst, Queens
4:59 PM
The plane lands with a jolt,and I blink awake. The faint hum of the engines fades as we tie into the terminal and passengers start shuffling in their seats.
I grab my phone from my pocket and power it on, expecting a few texts from Luke about the LA sessions or maybe Sienna checking in.
Instead, my screen lights up with a series of frantic messages from Sienna.
Call me as soon as you land.
Where are you, Callum? It’s urgent.
I'm guessing you're still in the air. I need to talk to you.
My chest tightens as I stare at the messages, a dozen scenarios racing through my head. Did Marcus do something? Is Ollie okay? Did I miss something while I was gone?
I don’t wait to get off the plane. I dial her number immediately and clutch my carry-on like a lifeline.
She picks up on the first ring. "Callum," she says, her voice breathless.
"What’s wrong?" I ask immediately, my throat dry. "Are you okay?"
"I’m fine," she says quickly. "Ollie’s fine. We’re both fine. I just... I need to see you. I'm at LaGuardia. I can pick you up, which terminal are you in? I don't want to talk about it on the phone."
I hesitate, still trying to piece together what’s happening. "Yeah, of course. I’ll meet you in the Terminal B parking garage. Sienna, what’s going on? You're worrying me."
"I’ll tell you when I see you," she says softly. "We're all okay, I promise. Just hurry, okay?"
I spot her car as soon as I step into the garage, tucked in a corner spot near the elevators. The engine’s off, but the lights are on, and through the windshield, I see her sitting in the driver’s seat with her phone in hand.
I tap on the passenger-side window, and she jumps slightly before unlocking the doors. When I slide in beside her, the first thing I notice is her face. It's flushed and her eyes are wide, like she’s seen a ghost.
"Sienna," I say, dropping my bag to the floorboard. "What’s going on?"
She doesn’t answer right away. Instead, she pulls a folder from the center console and places it on my lap. "I found this," she says quietly with a trembling voice. "And I'm not sure how you're going to react to this, but you deserve to know."
I glance at the folder, then back at her. "What is it?"
She exhales shakily, her hands gripping the steering wheel again. "Just read it. I can't talk."
I flip open the folder. The faint overhead light casts a glow on the pages inside. The first document looks official enough, with the lab’s logo at the top and the participant information listed below.
I stare at the words. The weight of them presses down on my chest. "What is this? What does this mean?"
"You’re his father, Callum. Marcus lied. He forged the results. He made me believe it was him when it wasn’t."
The papers slip from my hands as her words hit me. My breath comes out in shallow huffs, and my chest tightens like I’ve forgotten how to breathe. Ollie’s mine. I’ve got a son.
"I don’t—" I start, but the words stick in my throat. My mind races, thoughts colliding in every direction. A son. I’ve got a son. My eyes fill with tears and I have a slew of contradictory emotions: surprise, excitement, anger, anxiety.
I stare at the papers on my lap, the words blurring. "I don’t even know what to say."
Sienna’s hand brushes mine, grounding me as the realization settles deeper.
"What does this even mean? For him? For us? For everything?" The questions spill out, and I don’t even know who I’m asking—her or myself.