Page 71 of The Lovers
FIFTY-TWO
As the Jag gobbled up the miles and they drew closer to home, Quinn grew more fretful. She’d hardly thought of Sylvia or Rhys during the weekend, but now the anxiety returned full force, rendering her pensive and silent. Her feelings changed from moment to moment. A part of her wished that Dr. Scott would get a match, and she could finally put the mystery of her birth to rest and start working on a relationship with her parents, or at least her mother; and part of her wished that things would just go back to the way they were. She hadn’t mentioned anything to her parents. It seemed wiser to wait for the results before disrupting their peace of mind. Quinn knew that although her parents would be supportive no matter what she decided to do, they would still feel the sting of rejection, taking her desire to forge a relationship with her birth parents as some sort of criticism of the way they’d raised her. At the moment, they were the only parents she ever wanted or needed.
“You seem a million miles away,” Gabe said as he stole a glance in her direction. “You haven’t said anything in nearly an hour.”
“I’m nervous about tomorrow,” she admitted.
“I know.”
“I don’t know that I can ever grow to love them, knowing what I know of the way I was conceived,” Quinn confessed.
“Darling, like most adopted children, you fantasized about your real parents and unwittingly put them on a pedestal. A child wants to believe that the reason they were given up was not because they weren’t wanted, but because the situation was unmanageable. Everyone likes to imagine that they were conceived in love, but the reality is often very different.”
“I suppose you’re right, Gabe, but that still doesn’t make this any easier. How do I look Rhys in the eye when I know what he did all those years ago? Do I confront him if he is my father?”Thank God I never responded to his advances, Quinn thought as she stared at the winding road stretching off into the distance. Sleeping with a possible rapist would be bad enough, but having sex with a man who might be her biological father would be something she couldn’t ever come back from, at least not emotionally. Even the thought of the kiss they shared made her shudder with revulsion. Thank heaven Gabe didn’t know that Rhys had tried to romance her.
“Quinn, why don’t you wait until you get the results, and then we’ll tackle those consequences together?”
Quinn nodded, her thoughts still in turmoil. It was going to be a long night, and she was glad that Gabe offered to stay. His presence was solid and comforting, his devotion unwavering. Quinn reached over and squeezed his hand. Gabe smiled back and blew her a kiss.
Monday morning came all too soon, and Quinn stared balefully at the phone as it refused to ring hour after hour. Gabe had waited with her until nine o’clock, but he had a meeting scheduled for ten and needed to get going. It was the last week before Christmas break, and there were finals to grade, paperwork to fill out, and a holiday do for the staff to organize. Gabe would have a busy few days.
“Call me as soon as you hear,” Gabe said as he kissed her on the threshold. “I should be available by eleven.”
“Will do.”
Quinn went back into the house, made herself another cup of coffee, and settled in to wait. She tried reading, but the words just swam before her eyes, refusing to form actual words that made sense. There were three missed calls from Rhys, which she refused to return. She just couldn’t bring herself to speak to him at the moment. He’d scheduled the shoot for the documentary for the beginning of January, so whatever the results, she’d have to work things out by then since she couldn’t break her contract without incurring a lawsuit.
The wait became unbearable, so Quinn decided to take a walk instead. The day was brisk and overcast, and the heavens threatened to open up at any moment, but it was still better than staying indoors. Quinn tied a warm scarf around her neck, pulled on her wellies, and set off down the lane to the village. The snow had melted over the weekend, leaving behind a muddy slush that had frozen again overnight. It was easier to walk on the side of the road, where it wasn’t so slippery.
Walking made her feel better. The physical activity relieved some of the tension, and Quinn increased her pace, almost trotting down the lane. A soupy fog swirled all around her, muffling sound and giving her limited visibility. Even the crows, who were usually out in full force in the mornings, were silent. Quinn finally decided that she’d gone far enough and turned in the direction of home. She was cold, and the moisture in the air made her face feel damp. She was almost back to the house when her mobile finally rang. Quinn fumbled for the phone and almost dropped it in her nervousness.
“Dr. Scott,” she said. “Good morning.”
“Morning, Quinn. I hope you had a pleasant weekend.”
“I did,” she answered truthfully, eager to get the pleasantries out of the way. “And you?”
“Very good, thank you. But I’m sure you don’t want to hear all about my weekend with my partner’s family,” Dr. Scott joked. “I have the results.”
“And?” Quinn felt as if the air was suddenly sucked out of her lungs, leaving her gasping like a landed fish. She couldn’t breathe and had a stitch in her side that hadn’t been there a moment ago.
“I can say with ninety-nine percent certainty that Sylvia Wyatt is your mother.”
Quinn let out the breath she’d been holding. She thought she would feel either elation or despair at the news, but all she felt was a vast emptiness. She had no idea how to feel now that she knew the truth.
“Quinn? Are you there?”
“Yes, please go on.”
“The man’s DNA, however, is not a match. I hope you’re not too disappointed.” Quinn had not given Dr. Scott Rhys’s name since she obtained his DNA by less-than-honest means.
“Yes. No. I mean, I’m not really sure how I feel about it yet. I suppose I need some time to think,” Quinn replied.
“Of course you do. It’s a lot to take in. Please, ring me if you need anything else. I’m always happy to help.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your help, Colin.”
“Anytime. Give my regards to Gabe.”
