Page 65 of The Sacrifice
“She’s such an adorable girl,” Jade sighs.
“Yes, she is.” I kiss her forehead and inhale her sweet baby smell. “I can’t believe the last few weeks. They’ve been a whirlwind.”
“Are you happy?”
“Yes. I am.” I snuggle her closer. Baby powder. Shampoo. And joy.
On the way through the living room, I grab Jackson’s shoes beside the door and place them next to each other. By the time we got home last night, we were both exhausted and fell asleep on the sofa. It’s not as comfortable at twenty-six as it was when I was five.
Ding. Dong.The doorbell peels over the surround sound speaker system. “Jade, I’ve got to go. Someone is at the door.”
“Okay. I’ll talk to you soon.”
I shove my cellphone into my back pocket and open the door. A man in a white dress shirt and black jeans nods. “Good morning. I have a delivery for this address.” He holds out a thin, white envelope. “It’s for a Jackson Rhodes.”
“Yes, this is his address.” I adjust Hadley in my arms as she turns to study the visitor. Her hands and feet flutter against me.
“Such a pretty girl. How old is she?”
“Three months.”
“I have a five-month-old.” He grins. “It’s such a fun age.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Is Mr. Rhodes here?”
“No, he isn’t.”
“Let me check the delivery instructions.” He glances at his handheld device, clicks on the buttons, and shoves out his other hand with a black signature pad in it. “You can sign.”
“Sure, no problem.” My signature looks as recognizable as a Rorschach Ink Blot test.
After he hands me the envelope, he smiles and waves while turning on his heel. “Have a nice day.”
The DNA company. My heart stops as my stomach cramps. It’s the results. My breathing comes out in shallow bursts as sweat builds in my armpits. Please, let this be the right answer.
Hadley bats at my face as if she agrees with me. Like there’s another choice. She looks just like him. The same brown eyes. The same facial structure. The same birthmark. There’s no other answer.
I shut the door with a snap. “Thank you.” I roll my eyes.The door is shut. He can’t hear you.10:05 a.m. That’s too long. Jackson won’t get home tonight until 6:00 p.m. I can’t wait that long.
As much as I want to hold the pages up to the light or boil a pot of water and steam it open, I can’t. She is his daughter. Stop stressing and worrying about the results. It’s a foregone conclusion. But he needs to know so we can celebrate.
“Little lady, are you ready to see your daddy at the football stadium? You’re going to love it.” I rush through the house, gathering our things and tossing them inside her diaper bag.
The football stadium. Adrenaline rushes through my veins. I haven’t been since I was a kid. He had a home game the first week, and we weren’t on cordial terms. And his next two games were out of town. It’s a big place, but surely someone will tell me how to find him.
***
Thirty Minutes Later
I carry Hadley’s car seat and diaper bag in one arm while holding the envelope for dear life in the other hand. The stadium parking lot is empty except for the staff and players section, and there’s not another soul wandering around. It’s us and the birds flying high overhead. They’re the only things reassuring me I’m not in an alternate universe.
The door slides open, and the security guard steps forward. “Credentials?”
“Uh, I don’t have any.” Of course, you need an ID to get in. Why didn’t I think of that? It’s not like they want a bunch of random stalkers showing up to fawn over the players. “I’m sorry. I have an important letter for Jackson Rhodes and didn’t think about what I’d need to get inside. I wanted to surprise him, but I should have called instead.”
“Sorry, ma’am. You aren’t allowed inside unless you have clearance.” His chest is puffed out as he looks down his nose at me.