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“Sure.”
And then they were gone, leaving me, Rhett, and the most delicious smelling food a pregnant woman who hadn’t eaten for five hours could imagine.
“I’m just gonna…” I gestured to the table.
“Go for it.”
We sat, and I lifted the cloche. “Oh. My. God.” Roast beef, potatoes, parsnip, beans, carrots, gravy, fresh crusty bread.
As I picked up my knife and fork, Rhett’s voice cut through my hunger haze. “I have some news.”
With my mouth stuffed full of potato, I made a motion with my hand to let him know to go ahead.
“I expect we’ll have some concrete information on your birth mother by close of business today.”
I almost choked on the damn potato. Forcing myself to swallow, I said, “That fast? Less than two hours ago, you had nothing.”
“I’ve had enough of pussyfooting around the issue, waiting on the courts. So, I reached out to the adoption agency myself. They’re expediting the search for your birth mother.”
“What, just because you asked them to?”
“I might have offered a little incentive.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “What sort of incentive?”
“A financial one, obviously.”
“Uh huh. I see. How much?”
“Twenty thousand dollars.”
I stared at him for a long moment, my eyes bugging out of my head. Just like that, calm as you please. Nothing in his tone to suggest any sort of discomfort at bribing a medical worker and… breaking the law.
“You’re breaking the law.” The words tasted bitter on my tongue as the seriousness of the situation sank in.
“Fuck yes, I am,” he replied without hesitation, the determination in his eyes unnerving. His blase attitude toward the whole situation was fucking unnerving.
“You can’t!”
“I can and I did. I expect the information tomorrow morning at the latest.”
“I’m really struggling with this.”
His only reply to that was a shrug. “I thought you would be. That’s why I didn’t run it by you before I did it.”
“That’s very fucking disrespectful.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way. But the alternative is waiting for the slow hand of the law to tip in our favor and unlock your files. Who knows what could happen with these babies in the meantime?”
He had me there. He fucking had me there. I lay a protective hand over my belly, not knowing how to think or feel.
“It’s done. There’s no point you stressing over it.”
“Doesn’t mean I won’t. It was a closed adoption for a reason. Now some poor woman is about to get a bolt of lightning in her face, from out of nowhere.”
Another shrug. “Just eat your dinner and look after yourself. That’s all you need to do right now.”
“Fuck you.”