Not Quite Mine (Not Quite #2)(66)
Author: Catherine Bybee

OK, so her mother wasn’t completely without funds.

“I’m sorry to say this, but I’m surprised to see you here.”

“Annette still has my father on an emergency contact list.”

Tina opened her mouth, closed it. “Oh.”

If Tina was shocked to see her, perhaps she shouldn’t be here.

“Maybe I should go,” Katie said suddenly feeling out of place.

“No. Please, I’m sorry I said that. I’m sure Annie would want to see you when she wakes up.”

“Really? I’m not so sure. She’s not tried to see me in years.”

Tina shook her head. “She saw you every time your picture ended up in a paper.”

Great, so her mother followed the tabloid crap. “Not the same.”

“No. I’m sure it’s not.”

Katie’s gaze skirted to her mother and then out the window. “She told my brother and me that she was living in Europe. Sent Christmas cards from there. Do you have any idea why she did that?”

“No. I thought perhaps all of you had a falling out. I knew about you and Jack…it is Jack, right?”

“Yes.”

“But she didn’t elaborate as to why she had little to do with you.”

“Nothing! She’s had nothing to do with us. My brother was married two months ago. She sent a gift and a card.” Reminding herself of her mother’s behavior brought back the anger she’d felt on the plane. The room started feeling a little smaller and the desire for fresh air became a need.

“She’s not a bad person, Katelyn. She might have been a terrible mother, but not everyone is built to nurture others.”

“Then why have us in the first place?”

Tina offered a sympathetic smile. “You’ll have to ask her that.”

Katie stood and grasped the handle of her purse. “Not an option right now, is it?” She knew her anger was misguided toward the woman in the room, but it didn’t stop her from snapping. Katie hated that this stranger, this woman who had a good ten years on her mother, knew more about Annette than she did.

It pissed her off that her mother waited until something awful happened to remember she had children.

“I should go,” Tina said.

“No. I’m going. Please ask the nurse to call me if anything changes.”

Katie left the room and the unit in a rush.

Built to nurture others!

Could it be that simple? Could it be that Annette, no Annie, just didn’t want to be a mom?

The suffocating heat hit her as she exited the hospital and started walking.

She found a coffeehouse, ordered an iced tea, and dialed Dean. She was never so thankful to have him pick up.

“Hey, darlin’,” his voice was low, concern for her poured through the phone.

“I need you to talk me down,” she told him.

“Oh, no…what happened?”

She relayed the short conversation with Tina and did her best to explain how torn she was about the entire ordeal. “If it wasn’t for Jack and my dad, I’d get the hell out of here right now. Built to nurture others! Can you believe she said that? Thinks that?”

“What bothers you more, Katie, the fact she said it or that you already knew it to be true?”

“Both! It’s just so infuriating, Dean.”

“I know, darlin’. Do you want me to fly out?”

“No. I’m all right. The nurse said they were going to take her off the ventilator and wake her up slowly tomorrow morning. Then maybe she can tell me herself that she could give a shit about us and I can leave.”

Dean cleared his throat. “Do me a favor, Katie. Don’t let her have the power to make you this upset.”

Katie watched a woman walk by pushing a stroller and drew in a deep breath. “I’m trying. I was doing great until Tina showed up. Let’s talk about something else. How’s Savannah?”

“She’s a pooping machine, this little girl.”

Katie smiled, finding her happy place. “Keeping you busy with diapers I take it?”

“Oh, yeah. She loves being naked.”

She laughed. “We’re going to have to work that out of her.”

“We’ll have a few years to worry about that.”

We? She liked the sound of that. With all the high drama she’d nearly forgotten about her recent conversation with Patrick. Maybe Maggie wasn’t a nurturing mother either?

Maybe Maggie would have ended up abandoning Savannah later in life and screwing her up in the process.

Then Dean would have been a single father…like hers.

“She’s easy to love, isn’t she?”

“You can say that again.”

Her phone beeped in her ear. She pulled it away and noticed her brother’s number. “Looks like Jack is looking for me. I didn’t tell anyone I was leaving the hospital.”

“All right, darlin’. Everything’s good here. Call when you get a minute.”

“Thanks again, Dean.”

The doctor didn’t call with the test results until the morning after Dean thought he’d have his answers.

When he answered the call, his hand actually shook.

“Mr. Prescott?” The voice on the line was a woman.

“That’s me,” he said.

“Dr. Ellis would like to speak with you. Can you hold for him?”

“Sure.” Dean was in his office, hoping that when he got this call he’d be able to continue with his day regardless of the answer. If he wasn’t a father, then he would act as if nothing had changed. When in fact, nothing had…but if the answer was yes…well, he’d work through the shock instead of staring at Savannah all day.

“Dean?”

“Dr. Ellis.”

“I have your test results. Is this a good time?”

Dean huffed. “As good as any.”

“Congratulations, Daddy. Your DNA was a perfect match to Savannah’s.” Dr. Ellis went on to say something about the accuracy of the tests used today and how Dean had nothing to worry about.

“Are you there, Dean?”

His skin tingled and he felt surprisingly light-headed. “I’m here. I’m sorry. Thank you.”

“Best of luck, Dean. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you.”

“You’ve done plenty, Doctor. Thank you.”

He stared at an invoice on his desk for twenty minutes.

I’m a dad.

He thought of Katie, of her holding Savannah and smiling at him.