Chapter Thirty-Six
Annie
Mum wakes Dad, and we all head into the kitchen to sit down and talk about the freak show that just happened outside our home.
“Jesus Christ, I can’t believe I slept through all of that. Are you both okay?” Dad asks, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me into his side.
“I’m okay now. It was just a bit of a shock. She was so… so…” I trail off, unable to find the word.
“Disappointing, I think is what you’re looking for, sweetheart,” Mum says.
I nod because she’s exactly right. Seeing someone like Loretta and realizing I might have come from her makes my skin crawl. I’m not a nasty person, and I don’t judge people for where they come from, but the thought that I might have that in me…
It’s unsettling.
Then again, it explains some things.
“Yeah, she was nothing like I expected,” I say, leaning into Dad as he holds me tighter.
“I’m just sorry I wasn’t here for you, Annie,” he says.
“You’re here now. That’s all that matters.”
“So Annie, what would you like me to do from here?” Mum asks.
I shrug, completely lost. I never thought this day would come, so I have no idea how I’m supposed to feel. “I’m not sure. I mean, if she is my real Mum—”
“Biological mother, sweetheart. I’m your real Mum,” she interrupts softly.
I smile at her, guilt tugging at my chest.
Goddammit! I know Mum hates this.
“Sorry… yeah, my birth mother. If she really is, then I want to get to know her. I have so many questions. Who’s my Dad? Why didn’t he come? How did she find me? Why did she give me up? I just… I need answers.”
Mum nods while Dad exhales slowly. “Annie, if you want to ask those questions, you have every right to. But don’t bombard her. The answers might not be what you’re hoping for, honey. You need to be ready for that,” Dad says.
I nod, rubbing my face as I try to figure out what the hell to do next. “So what now? She didn’t leave a number or anything?”
Mum scoffs. “Don’t worry, she’ll be in touch again.
We just have to wait for her to make the next move.
You also need to remember you’re famous.
People take advantage of that. It’s public knowledge you’re adopted, so she could be some money-hungry woman trying to get her hands on your fortune. Just be careful.”
Geez, I hadn’t even considered that. I’ve spent my whole life wondering about my birth parents, so when one is suddenly standing in front of me, I want to believe it’s real.
I want answers so badly I ignore the damn warning signs.
“Yeah… didn’t think of that. I’ve just always wondered who they are.
Now one of them is right in front of me… I guess I want it to be true.”
Mum looks like she’s barely holding it together, so I stand and walk over to her. When she looks up at me, her eyes are already glistening.
I lean down and wrap my arms around her. “I love you, Mum. You’ll always be my mother, no matter what.”
She breaks, tears spilling as she clings to me. Dad rubs her back while she buries her face in my neck.
“I just love you so much, Annie. I couldn’t stand to lose you.”
I pull back enough to look at her. “You’re not going to lose me.
She might have given birth to me, but she’s not my mum.
She didn’t raise me. She wasn’t there for the sleepless nights, the sickness, the bad days.
You were. You’ve been here my entire life, loving me, supporting me, guiding me.
That’s what makes you my mum. Not her. You always will be.
” Her sobs deepen, which sets me off too.
“I love you, Mum,” I whisper as she clings tighter.
“I love you too, Annie. So much.”
I sit beside her while Dad watches us, his eyes shining. He reaches over, taking Mum’s hand, and she looks at him as he gives her a soft, understanding smile.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. You shouldn’t have to see me like this,” she says, wiping her tears.
“It’s fine, Mum. I get it.” I squeeze her shoulder gently.
“Annie, why don’t you call Aston? See if he can come over. He can stay the night if you like. I think you need some support right now, and as much as I hate it… he’s the one who can give it to you,” Dad says. “Go on, before I change my mind.”
I smile faintly, squeezing Mum’s shoulder again. She gives me a small, shaky smile, and I kiss her cheek before turning to leave the kitchen. I pause just outside, pressing myself against the wall as their voices carry.
“Oh my God, Colt, Loretta was a mess. She can’t be related to Annie. There was nothing nice about her. Annie deserves better than that,” Mum says, her voice tight.
“Baby, I know this is hard. I know you’ve dreaded this day since we adopted her. But Dee, if this is her birth mother, Annie needs to know her. If it turns bad, we’ll be there to support her.”
“But what if she likes her more than me? What if she goes to her for advice? For comfort? What if I’m not enough anymore? I couldn’t stand it, Colt. I love her too damn much.”
The scrape of chairs echoes as they move, and fresh tears spill down my cheeks. I hate that Mum feels this way. She’ll always be my first choice. Always.
“Dee, come here,” Dad murmurs, her sobs muffling against him. “That’s not going to happen. The bond you have with our girls is too strong. Annie loves you. You know that. Trust her. She’s made mistakes, sure, but she’s a good person. She knows right from wrong. This will be okay. I promise.”
I can’t listen anymore.
Mum’s crying cuts too deep.
So I head upstairs, moving quietly past Ella’s room. I push the door open just enough to peek inside. She’s fast asleep, and I don’t have the heart to wake her. She can stay blissfully unaware a little longer. I close the door softly and walk into my room, grabbing my phone.
I dial Aston.
It rings twice before he answers with a yawn, “Hey, baby,” he mumbles.
“Hey,” I reply, my voice flatter than I mean it to be.
“You okay? You sound… off. Sad?” The tears hit again before I can stop them. “Lennox, are you crying?”
I nod even though he can’t see me, sniffing hard. “I need you,” I whisper.
There’s a sudden shift on the other end, like I know he’s already moving.
“What’s going on, baby? I’m getting dressed now. I’ll be at your house in five minutes. Tell me what’s wrong.”
I half-smile, knowing he’ll drop everything for me. “My mum showed up on our front doorstep,” I whisper.
He chuckles lightly. “What do you mean? She lives there, of course, she would.”
I exhale, then suck in a sharp breath. “Aston… my birth mum.”
He goes completely silent. I watch myself in the mirror, really look this time. My eyes… they’re the same as hers.
Tears spill over again, and it seems to snap him back.
“Okay… is she still there?”
“No. She left.”
“Are you okay?”
“I don’t even know what I am right now, Ast,” I admit.
He sounds like he’s moving again, faster this time. “It’s okay, baby. I’m getting in the car now. I’ll be there soon, all right?”
I nod, sniffing even though he can’t see me.
“Annie,” he says as I hear the ignition turn over.
“Yeah?” I wipe at my cheeks.
“I’m here for you, okay?”
“I just need you right now, Ast. I need you.” Emotion crashes over me again, and I break.
“Hold on, baby. I’m on my way. I’m driving out now. Want me to sing to you?”
“Sure,” I whisper.
He starts singing the first verse of “I Knew You Were Always Mine,” and just like that, something inside me steadies. He stays on the phone the whole way. It only takes three minutes instead of five, so he was definitely speeding.
I’m still sitting on my bed when I hear him bolt up the stairs. The door flies open, and he’s across the room in seconds, pulling me into his arms.
“Are you okay? Tell me what you need.”
I cling to him, holding on tight as warmth floods through me. My body reacts instantly, that familiar comfort settling deep in my chest. I feel better just having him here.
He guides us back onto the bed, letting me curl into him.
“We’ll be in the living room if you need us,” Dad says quietly.
I glance up, not even realizing he’d been standing there. “Thanks, Dad.”
He closes the door, lingering for a second before his footsteps fade down the hall.
“Thank you for coming… and sorry for waking you.”
“Baby, you know if you need me, I’m here. Always.”
I melt back into him, running my hand up his back and threading my fingers through his hair.
Something feels off.
I pull back, glancing down at his shirt, and a laugh slips out.
“What?” he asks, frowning slightly.
“Your shirt’s inside out. I felt the tag.”
He huffs a laugh. “I was in a hurry to get to you.” He pulls me back in, then shifts us so we’re lying on the bed. “So… do you want to talk about it?”
“She was a mess, Ast. Like… really bad. Her hair was this tangled bird’s nest, her teeth were rotting, and her skin…” I shake my head. “Too much of something. Alcohol, drugs… I don’t know. And she was wearing leopard print.” I grimace. “You know how much I hate leopard print.”
His arms tighten around me as he presses a kiss to my head. “Do you know for sure she’s your mother?”
“No. But we have the same eyes. Hers are duller, older… but they’re the same green. Same shape. I saw myself in her, Aston. It was terrifying.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“A DNA test, I guess. She’s going to organize it, and then… we go from there.”
“Wow. I can’t even imagine how you’re feeling.”
“I don’t even know myself. I’m scared, angry, hurt, excited, nervous, frustrated. How can all of that exist at once?”
“It can, baby. Trust me. What did your mum say?”
My throat tightens again at the thought of her. “She wasn’t happy. She was with me when Loretta showed up. She handled it really well… but I don’t think she’s okay now.”
“Well, just know I’m here. Whatever you need, I’ve got you.”
“I don’t know how I’d cope without you.”
“Same goes for me, baby,” he murmurs before leaning in and kissing me softly.
***
Aston and I stayed in my room for the rest of the night. I wasn’t hungry, but Mum brought up a box of pizza anyway, and Aston ended up eating most of it. He tried to get me to have some, but I just couldn’t stomach anything.