Chapter 6: The Call That Changed The Family
Nobody moved.
The phone continued ringing in Evelyn’s hand.
A simple sound.
A normal sound.
But in that moment, it felt like a warning.
Marcus stared at the screen.
His father’s name was glowing across it.
The man he believed had walked away years ago.
The man he believed had chosen another life over his family.
The man Evelyn said was gone.
“Answer it,” Marcus said.
Evelyn shook her head.
“Marcus…”
“Answer it.””
Her fingers tightened around the phone.
“You don’t understand.””
“No.””
He stepped closer.
“I don’t.””
His voice was breaking now.
“So help me understand.””
Evelyn looked at me.
Then at him.
Then finally answered.
She didn’t put it on speaker.
But everyone could see her reaction.
The color leaving her face.
The way her eyes widened.
The way she stopped breathing for a second.
“Where did you get this number?”” she whispered.
A pause.
Then she looked at Marcus.
Another pause.
“No. He doesn’t know.””
My stomach dropped.
Marcus heard that.
His expression changed.
“Who doesn’t know what?””
Evelyn turned away.
“Listen to me. You cannot call me right now.””
Another pause.
Then her voice became desperate.
“Because the envelope is here.””
Everyone went still.
Marcus’s eyes widened.
The call wasn’t just random.
His father knew.
He knew about the envelope.
Evelyn ended the call quickly.
Too quickly.
Marcus stared at her.
“What did he say?””
She didn’t answer.
“What did he say?””
“Marcus—”
“No.””
His voice echoed across the backyard.
“No more secrets.””
Evelyn looked defeated.
For the first time since I met her, she looked small.
“I didn’t want this day to happen.””
I looked at her.
“Neither did I.””
She looked at me.
And there was something in her eyes I couldn’t understand.
Regret.
Fear.
Maybe even guilt.
But it was too late for any of those things.
Marcus held up the envelope.
“Tell me what’s inside.””
Evelyn looked at it.
Then at him.
“I don’t know.””
Everyone stared.
Marcus frowned.
“What?””
“I know what it is connected to.””
“Then why don’t you know?””
Her lips trembled.
“Because I never opened it.””
I almost laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because it made no sense.
“You had the results before us,” I said.
“You requested testing. You knew about the envelope.””
“Yes.””
“Then why wouldn’t you open it?””
Evelyn looked at me.
“Because I was afraid of what it would confirm.””
Marcus became still.
“What were you afraid it would confirm?””
She didn’t answer.
And I realized something.
Evelyn had spent all day trying to stop us from opening that envelope.
But maybe she wasn’t afraid of the result.
Maybe she was afraid of the question the result would create.
Marcus looked down at the seal.
Then slowly opened it.
This time, nobody stopped him.
Not Evelyn.
Not me.
Not anyone.
His fingers pulled the paper halfway free.
And then—
His phone rang again.
Everyone looked.
Another unknown number.
Marcus almost ignored it.
But something made him answer.
“Hello?””
A man’s voice came through.
Marcus listened.
His face changed.
Then he looked at Evelyn.
“Say that again.””
The man spoke.
Marcus’s grip tightened around the envelope.
“What do you mean she doesn’t know?””
My heart raced.
Evelyn stepped forward.
“Who is that?””
Marcus ignored her.
The man on the phone continued speaking.
And then Marcus said the words that made my entire body go cold.
“You’re saying my mother was never supposed to receive those results?””
Evelyn closed her eyes.
Like she had known this moment was coming.
Marcus lowered the phone.
He looked at her.
Then at the envelope.
Then at me.
“Mom…”
His voice was barely above a whisper.
“Why did the hospital send my DNA results to you?””
The backyard went silent.
Evelyn didn’t move.
May you like
And then she whispered:
“Because I’m the reason they were tested.””
