Page 4 of His Long-Lost Baby
Every time I think of her, I think of the man who turned his back on her and Quinn and rage fills me.
What if this app points us straight to him? Gives us his name?
What would I do then?
Suddenly, I hear a giggle and realize that Quinn must have found a hiding spot. I finish counting and begin to search the yard for her.
As I walk, I can’t help but think about my own biological family. My mom and dad were barely around when I was growing up; I left home at eighteen and we’ve had limited contact ever since.
Which is fine.
Kind of.
It’s not that I miss them. I just wish I had parents who gave a damn about me.
And a partner to share life with.
There’s another giggle, and I reach a big oak tree in the corner of the yard.
I peek around the trunk, but see no sign of Quinn. I lean my head against the tree and close my eyes, listening for any sounds that might give her away.
It’s in that moment, with the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves above me, that I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around and see Quinn standing there, grinning from ear to ear.
“You found me, Mommy!” she exclaims, throwing her arms around my neck.
I hug her tightly, savoring the feel of her small body pressed against mine.
“You’re a great hider, baby girl,” I tell her.
Her big blue eyes are bright and her smile is wide. And in that moment, I know that everything is going to be okay. We’ll navigate this new chapter together, just like we have everything else.
CHAPTER2
BILLIE
“You okay over there?” Monica raises an eyebrow at me from the other side of the office we share in downtown Olympus City.
“Huh?” I look away from my computer, where I’ve been working all morning designing a logo for a new cupcake company.
“You keep tapping your fingers against the desk.”
“I do?” I glance down at my hand and sigh. “It’s just… I guess I can’t stop thinking about the whole genetics thing. The results should be back any day now.”
“It’s okay to be nervous.” Monica slides in the keyboard at her standing desk. “I would be too. This is big.”
“Yeah.” I blow out a breath that fluffs my dark bangs and gaze out the window.
The office Monica and I have been renting together for the last few years is a total score. There’s an amazing view of the harbor, and we can walk to all sorts of restaurants and coffee shops from here.
But not even the best view of the West Coast’s tech hub can pull me out of this funk. I won’t be resting until I see those results.
Suddenly, my phone buzzes on the desk. I jump, startled, and quickly pick it up. It’s a notification from the genetics app, DNAU. The results are in.
I take a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest. “I don’t know if I can open this.”
Contained in this one app is all the information I’ve been searching for about Quinn. Her medical dispositions are only a click away.
And maybe there’s more, too.