Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78340 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78340 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Walt returned a minute later and said, “The doctor can squeeze you in at two, Logan. I know that’s short notice, and you’ll need to bring your son along since they’ll collect DNA samples from both of you. Do you think you can make it?”
“Yeah, I think so. I’ll ask one of my family members to meet me there with the baby.” My hands were shaking as I picked up my phone and sent JoJo a text. While I waited for her to reply, I asked, “How long does it take to get the results?”
“Usually just twenty-four hours,” Charles said. “And please don’t worry. There’s every chance the results will be as expected.”
“Absolutely,” Lucky chimed in, as he placed his hand over mine. “Owen’s definitely Logan’s son. He looks just like him.” Did he, though? We both had brown eyes, but that was about it.
JoJo replied a minute later and told me it was no problem meeting us at the medical practice. Walt gave me the doctor’s business card, and after I sent her the address I told JoJo to take my car, so she wouldn’t have to worry about moving the bulky car seat. As I returned the phone to my pocket, I said, “Okay, we’re all set.” It was all I could do to sound calm when I was screaming inside.
Fortunately, the meeting was wrapping up, and after we all said our goodbyes and promised to be in touch soon, Lucky and I headed for the elevator. He knew me well enough to realize I was on the verge of panicking, no matter how much I tried to hide it, and when the elevator doors closed behind us he rubbed my back and said, “Take a deep breath, Logan. You have nothing to worry about. I’m sure the paternity test will show that Owen’s your son.”
“But what if it doesn’t? I’ll have zero chance of winning custody over his grandparents if I’m not his biological father.”
“You are. I just know it.” Lucky sounded confident.
I felt lightheaded by the time we reached the lobby, so I bent over with my hands on my knees and tried not to hyperventilate. This probably looked odd to all the people hurrying to and from the elevators as they went about their Very Important Business, but I really didn’t care.
Once I got myself together enough to continue on, we left the building and returned to the back seat of the town car. Lucky gave our driver the address of the doctor’s office, and then he put his arm around my shoulders and whispered, “It’s okay, mi amor. I’ve got you.”
“Thank god you’re here,” I said, as I curled into him. “This would be unbearable without you.”
We both fell silent for a while, but then I muttered, “Why didn’t I do a paternity test right away? Then I wouldn’t be suffering like this.”
“You didn’t do one because it didn’t really matter. You loved that baby right from the start, and you dedicated your life to raising him because he needed you. That has to count for something! On the one percent chance the results don’t come back as expected, we’ll turn around and sue the Wilsons for custody, and then we’ll adopt him. You’re the best thing for that child, and you’re also the person his mother chose to raise him. We’ll make sure the judge knows that.”
He was trying so hard to say the right things, and calling it a one percent chance was extremely optimistic. At that point though, worry had pretty much swallowed me whole.
Of course, I tried not to let it show when we arrived at the medical center, since JoJo was waiting out front with Owen. I absently noticed she’d changed into a yellow sundress and had dressed the toddler in a color-coordinated shorts set. Even though she smiled at us, I could see the worry in her eyes as she handed me my son and we all went into the building together.
Meanwhile, Owen’s face was lit up with excitement, and he took in his new surroundings with his usual sense of wonder. As we crossed the lobby, I asked my companions, “Can we please take Owen somewhere fun after this? He thinks he’s out on a grand adventure. He doesn’t realize—” I couldn’t finish that sentence.
“Yes, absolutely,” JoJo said. “I’m coming with you, and I know just the place. He’ll love it.”
Probably because our lawyers sent a lot of business their way, we were treated like VIPs by the staff when we reached the office. A cheerful nurse ushered us straight back into an exam room, and the doctor came in just a few minutes later. He took a quick swab of the inside of my cheek, then another of Owen’s, and that was it. While his nurse packed up everything to send it to the lab, the doctor told us we’d have the results in twenty-four hours or less. We didn’t even have to deal with payment, since it would be billed directly to the law firm—who no doubt would tack it onto our bill.