What The Water Brings In

11

"I went ahead and ran the comparative DNA test on the blood samples you drew," said Nurse Becks. "The results are in."

***

My head flung upward from where it rested on Dr. Green's chest. I nearly took his chin out with my forehead. Every muscle in my body was tense and twitching. I looked like a Chihuahua jittering with anxiety.

Dr. Green only stared blankly at the door. His eyes weren't even focused on Nurse Becks.

My thoughts went into a panic. He and I were just making headway. We were taking the first steps down the path of healing and acceptance.

Okay, so we were making out on a couch in an office in the basement of a hospital; but that was certainly progress from the festering anger he was in earlier. Right?

We just put a bandage on the wound of his heart when it came to questioning who his parents were. Nurse Becks didn't mean to, but she just ripped that band-aid off his still bleeding gash and exposed the raw nerve endings to the harsh bite of open air.

He'd made two steps forward, but I feared two sentences had sent him falling back three.

What was I to do? Was there anything I could do to help? At this pivotal point, I was in the way. I weighed Dr. Green down, who was still staring catatonically at a door hinge.

I slipped off his lap and settled into the cushion beside him. I smoothed my skirt to make sure I was decent. The little movements helped to hide just how my heart had turned into a stone and sat heavily in the pit of my stomach.

Sean woke up from his staring spell, pivoted at his hips, and grabbed my cheeks between his palms. A smashing kiss pressed onto my mouth with only a shred of warning but still catching me by surprise. My mouth was open.

That was his way to tell me he acknowledged I was there with him. He knew he wasn't alone. He wasn't going to leave me behind again.

"Go ahead and lay it on me," he said to Nurse Becks after he released my face and turned back around. His hand found mine and our fingers intertwined between us. "If you don't tell me now, I'll just be calling and bugging you about it in a week. We might as well get it over with now."

I was proud of him making this choice. I believed it was the right one, even after I managed to set aside my burning curiosity to know the results for myself.

Nurse Becks stepped full into the room and closed the door behind her. She wasted no time in situating herself into a seat near ours. Her hands shook and waved in front of her, like she was trying to rid her arms of a case of the jitters. She spoke when her fingers stilled in her lap. "It's positive, sweetheart. Jackie is your blood mother."

Silence surrounded us.

Sean's hand squeezed mine. Tears were falling down my cheeks and I didn't know why.

Nurse Becks closed her eyes. She looked apologetic. "I have to put the results in my report, but I won't breathe a word of this to anyone. I'll pinky promise if you want me to."

"Thank you, Becks." Dr. Green's tone was deadpan. "I'll take you on your word."

She bit her lip and pushed on her knees to stand. "I'm of no more use here. I'll get moving so this news can soak in. Y'all know how to reach me or Ty." Nurse Becks looked over the shoulder of her navy blue scrubs just before she disappeared through the door. "Just...don't let it marinate too long. It'll go rancid before you know it."

Sean and I sat side-by-side with hands clasped together. We stared at a filing cabinet; the sticky note I left on one drawer was bright and called attention to itself.