Page 91 of Tear Me Apart

“No, I’ve been here all night. I didn’t want to leave when you were feeling so awful.”

“You should go, get some sleep.”

“I will. Let’s see if you can keep any of this down, first.”

She watches her daughter nibble and sip, a brow raised, one hand on the green plastic biologicals bag—so much better than the old plastic tubs—but it is clear the worst is over. They both sigh in relief.

The urge to confess is overwhelming.

“Honey, I have some news.”

“What’s that?”

“We think we’ve found him. Your biological father.” Once she starts, she can’t stop. “He’s here in Vail, at the house, actually, with your dad and Aunt Juliet, and Dr. Oliver is going to test him first thing in the morning, and I met him, and I think you’re going to like him, he’s very quiet, and your dad said he was very polite and well-mannered. Oh, and he has a dog. A big dog, really pretty, she’s named Kat. Isn’t that funny, a dog named Kat?”

“Mom, you’re babbling.”

“Oh, I am, aren’t I?” Lauren pushes her hair off her face. “I’m just excited, honey, and nervous. He seems like a good man.”

“He could be an ax murderer for all I care if his blood’s a match to mine.”

“Melinda. How could you say such a thing? And don’t you dare say anything like that to him, do you understand?”

“Because his wife was murdered?”

Lauren freezes. “How did you—”

“You guys are really bad at keeping your voices down. I have my phone.” She shakes it at Lauren. “I looked him up. You’re right, I do look like them. It’s kind of weird, knowing that someone killed her right when I was born.”

“It’s tragic, sweetie. Such a tragedy.”

“Are the police going to come talk to me? I was a witness, right? I mean, I know I was, like, ten seconds old and all, but maybe some regression therapy, and I’ll be able to remember my birth.”

The little idiot grins at her impishly, and Lauren huffs out a breath and shakes her head. “You are impossible, you know that? I don’t know where you hear these things.”

“Daytime television, Mother dear.”

Mindy puts out a hand, and Lauren catches it. “Mom. Listen. I may still be upset with you, but you will always be my mother. No matter what. Nothing that happens will change that. I love you and Daddy.”

Lauren brushes the tears from her cheeks. “Oh, my sweet girl. If only that could be the case.”

Mindy seems like she wants to ask something more, but Lauren puts a finger on her daughter’s lips.

“I love you, peanut. I love you very, very much.”

“I love you, too.” She pauses, then blurts, “Mom, do you have a friend you call V?”

And Lauren feels the world shift under her feet.

“V? As in victory? No, I don’t.”

Mindy nods. “Oh. Okay. Well, if I’m going to meet my biological father—what should we call him, my biodad?—I need to get cleaned up.”

“Your biodad. I like it. Yes, let’s get you looking pretty, sweetheart.”

Lauren ignores her pounding heart, helps her daughter out of bed, to the shower.

Why would she be asking about V now? Why?