sure she was ready for the answer, she asked, “What is the truth?”
Mona played with her own bottled water, but her eyes stayed steady on her daughter. “I made a mistake when you were eleven. A huge mistake which cost me my marriage. It was the first time I made that mistake, though. I swear I wasn’t involved with anyone else when I got pregnant with you.”
Tia studied her mother’s face and decided Mona had been right. If she’d told Tia over the phone, doubt would have lingered. She knew all of her mother’s tells, though, and Mona was being truthful. It was a relief to know, though it brought on more questions than it answered. Her gut twisted as she tried to deal with the possibilities. “What do you mean? How else could I be B-positive?”
“I don’t know. I wish I did.”
Tia took a few sips of her water, then sighed. The thought had crossed her mind repeatedly since the big revelation, but she’d hoped not to have to pursue it. “I guess the most obvious place to start is with a DNA test.”
Mona nodded. “I’m sure your father would appreciate it.”
Though she hesitated to push it, Tia decided it was necessary. “I mean for both of you, Mom.” Nervous, she clasped her hands on her lap so she wouldn’t fidget.
Mona looked shocked, then offended. “Both of us? Are you saying you don’t believe I would know my own child?”
It seemed far-fetched to Tia too, but she wanted to cover all the bases. “The fact is, something doesn’t fit here, and if you’re sure you didn’t step out on Dad, then it follows that the problem could be something else.” Tia didn’t want to think about it, but knew she couldn’t ignore the possibility forever. Better to eliminate it right off rather than letting the possibility haunt her.
“What a ridiculous suggestion.” Mona folded her arms over her chest and harrumphed. “Of course you’re my daughter. How could you not be?”
“Then the tests should prove what you know is true—I had a mix up somewhere else and got the wrong blood results.” Tia paused, choosing her words carefully. “If things don’t come out the way we want them to, however, I need to know what happened.” She stared out the window at the darkness and tried not to let herself believe it could be true.
Though Mona insisted it was a waste of money, she agreed to go along with the test.
* * *
The next day after work Tia met with her father for a late lunch. He took time away from the office and she left Tristi in daycare for an extra hour.
“Hey, hon.” Ron wrapped her in a hug outside the restaurant. “I wondered if you were going to call me, or if I’d have to contact you first.”
She felt a pang of guilt. “Sorry. I’ve been all tied up about everything.”
“That’s understandable,” Ron said. They went inside and by mutual consent, waited to be seated before broaching the subject. Once their orders were placed and drinks sat in front of them, however, he didn’t waste any time.
“Have you spoken with your mother?” He played with the straw wrapper.
“Yes, she showed up last night and we talked through things.” She fiddled with her fork, not wanting to meet her father’s eyes.
“And?”
“She said she wasn’t . . . she didn’t . . . ” Tia was acutely aware of the other patrons around them, but knew he understood—which was good, because it was too awkward to say out loud. “I believe her.” She glanced up at him to catch his reaction.
His eyes flashed at hers, widening. “Then how does she explain the blood typing?”
She knew her father thought she had bought into a lie. “She can’t.”
He lifted his brows in derision. “How convenient.”
Tia dropped her hands to play with her napkin on her lap. “I did some research last night on DNA tests. If I ordered the kits today, we could have results by the end of next week.”
Ron shifted back in his seat. His face was impassive, but his voice held an edge of pain. “So you’re
Mona played with her own bottled water, but her eyes stayed steady on her daughter. “I made a mistake when you were eleven. A huge mistake which cost me my marriage. It was the first time I made that mistake, though. I swear I wasn’t involved with anyone else when I got pregnant with you.”
Tia studied her mother’s face and decided Mona had been right. If she’d told Tia over the phone, doubt would have lingered. She knew all of her mother’s tells, though, and Mona was being truthful. It was a relief to know, though it brought on more questions than it answered. Her gut twisted as she tried to deal with the possibilities. “What do you mean? How else could I be B-positive?”
“I don’t know. I wish I did.”
Tia took a few sips of her water, then sighed. The thought had crossed her mind repeatedly since the big revelation, but she’d hoped not to have to pursue it. “I guess the most obvious place to start is with a DNA test.”
Mona nodded. “I’m sure your father would appreciate it.”
Though she hesitated to push it, Tia decided it was necessary. “I mean for both of you, Mom.” Nervous, she clasped her hands on her lap so she wouldn’t fidget.
Mona looked shocked, then offended. “Both of us? Are you saying you don’t believe I would know my own child?”
It seemed far-fetched to Tia too, but she wanted to cover all the bases. “The fact is, something doesn’t fit here, and if you’re sure you didn’t step out on Dad, then it follows that the problem could be something else.” Tia didn’t want to think about it, but knew she couldn’t ignore the possibility forever. Better to eliminate it right off rather than letting the possibility haunt her.
“What a ridiculous suggestion.” Mona folded her arms over her chest and harrumphed. “Of course you’re my daughter. How could you not be?”
“Then the tests should prove what you know is true—I had a mix up somewhere else and got the wrong blood results.” Tia paused, choosing her words carefully. “If things don’t come out the way we want them to, however, I need to know what happened.” She stared out the window at the darkness and tried not to let herself believe it could be true.
Though Mona insisted it was a waste of money, she agreed to go along with the test.
* * *
The next day after work Tia met with her father for a late lunch. He took time away from the office and she left Tristi in daycare for an extra hour.
“Hey, hon.” Ron wrapped her in a hug outside the restaurant. “I wondered if you were going to call me, or if I’d have to contact you first.”
She felt a pang of guilt. “Sorry. I’ve been all tied up about everything.”
“That’s understandable,” Ron said. They went inside and by mutual consent, waited to be seated before broaching the subject. Once their orders were placed and drinks sat in front of them, however, he didn’t waste any time.
“Have you spoken with your mother?” He played with the straw wrapper.
“Yes, she showed up last night and we talked through things.” She fiddled with her fork, not wanting to meet her father’s eyes.
“And?”
“She said she wasn’t . . . she didn’t . . . ” Tia was acutely aware of the other patrons around them, but knew he understood—which was good, because it was too awkward to say out loud. “I believe her.” She glanced up at him to catch his reaction.
His eyes flashed at hers, widening. “Then how does she explain the blood typing?”
She knew her father thought she had bought into a lie. “She can’t.”
He lifted his brows in derision. “How convenient.”
Tia dropped her hands to play with her napkin on her lap. “I did some research last night on DNA tests. If I ordered the kits today, we could have results by the end of next week.”
Ron shifted back in his seat. His face was impassive, but his voice held an edge of pain. “So you’re
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