I looked at the phone.
No, Susan. He didn’t get it.
Silence.
Then she asked:
“Anna?”
“Yes. And I saved all the messages you sent.
The call ended immediately.
For the first time in months I felt like I could breathe again.
The following weeks were not easy.
Paternity tests were performed.
Family relations were investigated.
Financial records were reviewed.
And finally the truth came out.
Mark was my son’s father.
But Mark himself was not George Thompson’s biological son.
Susan had known for over thirty years.
And the reason my son looked so much like George’s family was related to a secret that even Mark hadn’t known completely.
My own mother had been adopted many years ago.
And his biological father was George’s brother.
Mark and I were not blood relatives in any way, because Mark was not biologically related to George.
But my son had inherited those ancient features of the Thompson family through me.
That’s what the doctor had recognized.
That’s why Mark had been afraid.
