Chapter 4: What Vanessa Hid
“My mother?””
The question came out before I could stop it.
Vanessa looked at me as if she had forgotten I was standing there.
Dad still held the laboratory report.
“What does Nia’s mother have to do with any of this?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“Not here.””
Dad stared at her.
“You don't get to choose the location anymore.””
“Marcus, please.””
“You lied about Derek. You lied about the pregnancy test. You lied about meeting him. And now you're telling Nia that her mother is somehow connected to all of this.””
“I didn't say that.””
“You said there was something you never told her.””
Vanessa looked at me.
“I was trying to protect you.””
I laughed.
The sound was bitter and unfamiliar.
“Everyone keeps saying that.””
Isaiah stepped closer to me.
“Protect her from what?””
Vanessa looked at him.
“You shouldn't be involved in this.””
Isaiah folded his arms.
“You dragged me into it when you put the test in Nia's room.””
Dad's eyes remained fixed on Vanessa.
“Start talking.””
She lowered herself into one of the kitchen chairs.
For the first time, she looked older than forty-three.
Tired.
Small.
“I knew your mother before I met you,” she said.
I felt my chest tighten.
“My mom?””
“Yes.””
“How?””
Vanessa looked down at the table.
“She worked at the same hospital as my sister.””
Dad frowned.
“I've never heard this.””
“You weren't supposed to.””
“Why?””
“Because your relationship with her was already falling apart.””
I shook my head.
“My parents divorced when I was six. You weren't even around then.””
“I know.””
“Then what are you talking about?””
Vanessa rubbed her hands together.
“Your mother was seeing someone.””
Dad's face hardened.
“We're not doing this.””
“Marcus—”
“My divorce from Nia's mother has nothing to do with your affair.””
“I didn't say it did.””
“You're implying she cheated.””
“She did.””
I stared at Vanessa.
“No.””
“She did,” Vanessa repeated.
“You don't know that.””
“I was there.””
Dad stepped forward.
“What man?””
Vanessa hesitated.
Then she said a name.
“Derek.””
The kitchen seemed to tilt.
Isaiah looked at me.
I looked at Dad.
Dad's face had become unreadable.
“You're saying Derek knew my wife?””
Vanessa nodded.
“They knew each other before I ever met you.””
“That's impossible.””
“No.””
Dad shook his head.
“You're lying again.””
“I wish I were.””
Vanessa reached into her purse.
Her hands trembled as she pulled out an old photograph.
She placed it on the counter.
The edges were yellowed.
I picked it up.
There was my mother.
Younger.
Maybe twenty-five.
She was standing outside what looked like a hospital entrance.
Beside her was a man.
Tall.
Dark jacket.
Baseball cap.
I stared at the face.
I knew him.
Not personally.
But I had seen him.
In Isaiah's photograph from the pharmacy.
“That's Derek.””
Vanessa nodded.
I looked closer.
My mother was smiling.
Not a polite smile.
A real one.
The kind I remembered from old family pictures.
“Why do you have this?””
Vanessa swallowed.
“Because your mother gave it to me.””
I looked up.
“She gave you this?””
“Yes.””
“When?””
“Before she died.””
The room went silent.
My mother's death had always been one of those subjects Dad avoided.
She had died when I was eight.
A sudden medical complication.
That was all I had ever been told.
No dramatic story.
No mystery.
Just a closed chapter.
Or so I thought.
“What really happened to my mother?”” I asked.
Dad turned toward Vanessa.
“Answer her.””
Vanessa's eyes filled with tears.
“Your mother found out she was pregnant.””
I stared at her.
“I was already born.””
“I know.””
“Then what pregnancy are you talking about?””
Vanessa didn't answer.
Dad did.
“Another child?””
Vanessa nodded.
My fingers tightened around the photograph.
“You're saying my mother was pregnant again?””
“Yes.””
“What happened?””
“She miscarried.””
I looked at Dad.
He said nothing.
“Dad?””
His jaw worked.
“I didn't know.””
Vanessa looked at him.
“She didn't tell you.””
“Why?””
“Because she wasn't sure the baby was yours.””
The photograph slipped slightly in my hand.
Isaiah whispered, “Oh my God.””
I looked at Vanessa.
“And Derek?””
Vanessa nodded.
“He believed it was his.””
Dad turned away.
His hands went to his hips.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he looked back.
“How did you know?””
“I saw them together.””
“You were spying on them?””
“No.””
“Then what?””
Vanessa's voice dropped.
“Derek came to the hospital the night your mother miscarried.””
Dad stared.
“What?””
“He was there.””
“You were there too?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because I was working that night.””
Dad shook his head.
“You've known about this for twenty years?””
Vanessa didn't answer.
“Twenty years?””
“I was afraid.””
“Of what?””
“That the truth would destroy everything.””
I looked at her.
“You mean my family.””
“Yes.””
“You mean Dad would leave you.””
Her silence answered me.
I felt sick.
“So you knew my mother might have had Derek's child.””
“Yes.””
“You knew Derek was connected to my family.””
“Yes.””
“And then you married my father.””
Vanessa looked at the floor.
“Yes.””
I stepped back.
“Why?””
“I loved him.””
“No.””
She looked up.
“You may have loved him. But you were protecting yourself.””
She started crying.
Dad picked up the laboratory report again.
“This paternity test.””
Vanessa looked at it.
“I didn't order it.””
“Then who did?””
“I don't know.””
“Derek?””
She shook her head.
“Derek couldn't have.””
“Why?””
“Because he doesn't have access to your medical records.””
Dad's eyes narrowed.
“Neither do you.””
Vanessa looked away.
I suddenly remembered something.
“Wait.””
Everyone looked at me.
“The test box.””
“What about it?”” Dad asked.
“The pharmacy receipt was yesterday.””
“Yes.””
“But the test in my room was already used.””
Vanessa nodded.
“Yes.””
“So somebody used it before putting it in my room.””
Vanessa's face changed.
I watched her carefully.
“Where did you get the positive test?””
“I told you.””
“No.””
I stepped closer.
“You said you bought two.””
“Yes.””
“Then why is the box in your bag empty?””
She froze.
Dad understood.
“You bought two tests,” he said.
“One box is empty. But the positive test was not in that box?””
Vanessa stared at him.
“I…”
“You didn't buy the positive test yesterday.””
She lowered her eyes.
“No.””
“Where did it come from?””
Vanessa's lips trembled.
“I found it.””
“Where?””
“In my bathroom.””
Dad frowned.
“Your bathroom?””
“Yes.””
“Then why did you tell us you found it in Nia's room?””
Vanessa began crying.
“I panicked.””
I shook my head.
“No. You didn't panic.””
She looked at me.
“You planned it.””
“No.””
“You needed Dad to think I was pregnant.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Vanessa didn't answer.
Dad's voice cut through the room.
“Why?””
She looked at him.
Then at me.
“Because I knew someone was coming for you.””
My skin prickled.
“What does that mean?””
Vanessa wiped her cheeks.
“Derek isn't trying to expose me.””
Dad stared.
“Then what does he want?””
Vanessa looked directly at me.
“He wants you.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
“He believes you are his daughter.””
Dad's face changed.
“No.””
“He has believed it for twenty years.””
“That's insane.””
“He has proof.””
“What proof?””
Vanessa reached into her purse again.
This time she pulled out a sealed envelope.
She placed it on the counter.
“I was supposed to give this to you years ago.””
I stared at it.
There was handwriting across the front.
My mother's handwriting.
I knew it instantly.
*For Nia, when she is old enough to know the truth.*
My hands went cold.
I reached for the envelope.
Vanessa grabbed my wrist.
“Before you open it,” she whispered, “you need to understand something.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
Her voice broke.
“Derek didn't come back into our lives because of me.””
She glanced at Dad.
May you like
“He came back because of you.””
And before I could ask what she meant, someone knocked three times on our front door.