“Then why was he paying for her room?”
Evan hesitated.
Before he could answer, a familiar voice came from behind me.
“You really want to know?”
I turned.
Robert stood in the doorway.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then I asked, “Who is she?”
Robert looked at Evan. “You should go.”
Evan disappeared inside.
I folded my arms. “Who is she?”
Robert looked exhausted.
“Her name is Ariella.”
“I didn’t ask her name.”
“She’s 23.”
“You’re not really answering my question.”
“She’s my granddaughter.”
I actually laughed.
“Your what?”
“My granddaughter.”
“Robert, we have three grandchildren. I know all of them.”
His face tightened. “There’s another one.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Whose child?”
He swallowed. “My son’s.”
I stared at him.
“You don’t have a son. We only have two daughters.”
“I didn’t know I did.”
I stepped back.
Robert reached toward me.
“Don’t touch me.”
I said, “Start talking.”
So he did.
Before meeting me, Robert had dated a woman named Helen for less than a year.
Robert was 22.
They broke up, and he moved away for work.
A few months later, he met me.
What Robert never knew was that Helen had been pregnant when they separated.
