Page 26

NOW

August 2023

Kimberly

DNA Clinic, The Docklands, Dublin

Kimberly adjusted her cap, pulling it lower over her forehead. With her hand against her breast, she watched Lily and Zach gaze upwards at the sky.

She couldn’t determine what they were looking at, but she knew Lily had most likely seen something in the clouds, as was her way.

Zach reached out and touched Lily’s arm. And then she said something, and turned to him, and they embraced.

As Kimberly watched them, a swarm of butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She had been unable to eat or sleep ever since Lily had told them about Zach. The possibility of seeing Robert again made her heart skip a beat.

Could she risk moving closer? Yes, if she was careful. Kimberly straightened her oversized sweatshirt. She had dressed in the most inconspicuous outfit she could find, hoping to blend in with the crowd. But now she felt like a spotlight was shining on her. Check out the middle-aged woman failing to hide in plain sight.

She supposed she could walk over to them and announce herself. Kimberly was a grown woman and in charge of her own actions. But she’d promised Lily she’d stay away from Zach until they knew one way or the other if he was Robert. That was all well in theory. But she could not stay away any more than she could stop the sun from rising tomorrow morning.

Because she knew that was him.

They were still hugging, which puzzled Kimberly. They couldn’t have received the DNA results already. Kimberly had googled the clinic Lily had booked, and the turnaround time was up to seven days. Had there been a special express service? That didn’t make any sense, though. No. Whatever this was, it was not a brother and sister celebrating a DNA match.

She moved closer to them, keeping herself concealed behind the tall building on her left. A woman walking her dog stopped as he sniffed a lamppost before he lifted his leg to relieve himself. Kimberly was grateful for the distraction, and used the moment to move closer unnoticed.

She looked up at the sky, hoping to discern what Lily and Zach had seen, but she couldn’t make it out from her new vantage point. She knew the clouds were constantly moving and shifting, so the image must have dispersed.

They began walking towards Clarion Quay, and Kimberly struggled to keep up with their fast pace. Every now and then, she heard laughter drift back to her.

They liked each other. She could tell how Zach moved, half turning so that he looked at his sister as they walked.

His sister. She’d already started to call Lily that in her mind. Because she’d recognise Robert from any line-up. How long she’d waited to see them together.

A pain pierced her chest; she stopped and held on to the brick wall of a betting shop. Was this a heart attack? It felt like one. She couldn’t breathe as likely scenarios danced in her brain of what might happen once they received the results raced through her mind.

Lily and Zach approached a busy pedestrian crossing, and as the green man lit up they accelerated. Kimberly, who had been following closely behind them, reached out her hand, almost touching her son’s back. However, as the crowd moved forward, Kimberly’s feet remained firmly planted on the pavement. People jostled by her, sighing at the annoyance of the silly woman in their way.

Kimberly ached to hold her son in her arms again, to tell him that she’d never stopped loving him, thought about him every day, and was sorry – more sorry than he’d ever know.

But now was not the time or place. Not with Lily by Zach’s side, at least. Kimberly knew she had to let them go. She allowed the distance between them to grow until they were no longer in sight, as she formulated a plan.