DNA!

glare at the envelope, ripping at the seal and

pulling out the folded sheet of paper. Everything else has

gone to hell, why not stick the cherry on top while I’m at

it? Bring it on!

stare at the letter, numbers and scientific jargon

swimming before me. Then read it again, convinced I’m

getting confused by the mumbo-jumbo, the terminology.

When it still says the same thing the third time,

stop

breathing.

Negative

stare.

There is no genetic match between the subjects

Rosie is not Dad’s daughter.

442

Rosie

“Don’t you think we should wait till we hear from

Kitty?” ask nervously as help Ben tidy his trucks away.

“We’re only assuming at the moment—we don’t know for

sure …”

“She can’t possibly go ahead with the story now,

Rosie.” Jack laughs. “Or the case—it would be professional

suicide!”

Yes think, but little voice nags in my head. But if she really loved me, if she really wanted me …

banish it guiltily—what am thinking? That want

her to sue Sarah to prove she loves me after all?

“Rosie’s right, though,” Megan says. “We know how

determined she can be. She might think of some way to

get around the answering machine message—”

She’s interrupted by the shrill ring of the telephone.

We all stare at it.

“Well, that was quick,” Jack says.

“Should we let it go to the machine?” Megan jokes.

“For evidence?”

Jack picks the receiver up carefully. “Hello?”

stare at him. Is it her?

“Oh, hi, Pete.”

443

sink into

chair, not even realizing I’ve been

holding my breath till it comes rushing out.

“No, no, that’s fine,” Jack tells the phone. “Yep.

Friday’s great. Okay, glad you’re feeling better. Bye.”

He replaces the receiver and almost immediately

the phone rings again. Jack stares at it, startled.

“Place your bets now,” he jokes.

“Jack, just answer it, for goodness’ sake,” Megan

urges.

“Hello?” he says, lifting the receiver. “Oh, hello.”

stare at him as he touches his finger to his lips, all humor

wiped from his face as he takes the phone into the kitchen.

It’s Kitty.

hold my breath consciously this time, my fingers

crossed so tightly they hurt.

Please beg, please let her drop the case! Please let this all be over! close my eyes and wish hard—trying to block out the little voice in the back of my head, still

pleading just as much for the opposite.

444

Holly

She’s not his daughter.

stare at the page, hardly able to believe it.

This whole nightmare

this whole awful, horrific

fortnight has been some mistake— some monumental

mistake! Rosie’s not his daughter!

Which means am!

laugh incredulously. feel like Scrooge waking up

on Christmas morning to find that Tiny Tim’s still alive,

that the spirits have given him second chance, given him

back his life, and it was all just

dream

It wasn’t real!

The baby swap, the Huntington’s—I don’t have it and

never will—never can—because Rosie got it wrong!

Somehow she got it all wrong—the wrong mother, the

wrong father

It was all just one big, bad, terrible

nightmare

And now it’s time to wake up.

feel dizzy with delirium, laughter bubbling

uncontrollably inside me—Dad’s still really my dad, I’m not ill, my baby’s not ill, and Josh

stare at the plastic

ring in my hand, my heart soaring as

remember his

words: love you, Holly Marie Woods— will love you till my dying day … And now there’s nothing in the way—no

445

illness, no reason to hide

it’s time. have to call him—

right now—have to tell him he’s going to be dad!

Trembling with excitement,

grab the phone

extension by my bed, my finger poised to dial—but am

stopped short by voice on the other end.

“Jack, please,” Kitty begs. “Let me talk to Rosie. She

has to know never meant—I didn’t realize—It wasn’t my

idea. Janine—”

“Did what?” Dad asks coolly. “Forced you?”

grin, savoring the moment. She’s my mother now,

and

can tell her just where she can stick her bogus

lawsuit, just how stupid she’d look if she went to press

with

humongous lie, just how little think of her as

mother

“No, she—I just wanted to find Rosie—to have

another chance.” Kitty sighs. “The article was Janine’s

idea.”

take deep breath, adrenaline surging.

“And the court case?” Dad asks coldly. “The DNA

test?”

freeze.

The DNA test

Kitty had DNA test done too

And it came out positive.

“Just

tell Rosie I’m sorry, will you?” Kitty sighs.

“I’ve had to drop the case.”

Positive

“And the story?” Dad asks.

446

“The story’s toast, Jack, you know that,” she says

bitterly. “I can’t take the risk. The negative exposure …”

screw my eyes shut, trying to make sense of it all.

“Thank you, Kitty,” Dad says.

“Don’t thank me,” Kitty says hotly. “It’s not like had choice. Rosie’s my daughter, after all—I have

right.

And don’t appreciate being blackmailed, Jack.”

Rosie is Kitty’s daughter …

“I understand,” he says. “But I’ve got to look out for

my daughter—this wasn’t the right way, Kitty.”

But she’s not Dad’s …?

“Oh, really? God, you’re so high and mighty—you

think you know everything, don’t you, Jack? But you

don’t.”

“Really?” Dad says patiently.

But if Rosie is Kitty’s and isn’t Dad’s— and we were born the same night, how …?

“Uh-huh. Because I’ve got news for you, Jack

Woods.” Kitty sneers. “That precious daughter of yours?

The one you say you’re protecting? Rosie? She’s not your

daughter, Jack. When met you was already pregnant.”

My eyes fly open and stare at the phone, stunned

to the core. Suddenly the test results fall into place.

He wasn’t the father

“Oh, Kitty,” Dad says eventually, his voice cool, calm.

“You think didn’t know? I’ve always known.”

gasp.

“Kitty?” Dad says suddenly.

447

hang up quickly, my head rushing. close my eyes,

their words tumbling in tangled circles around my head.

Rosie is Kitty’s baby, which means she was swapped

at birth— with me. Then was given to Kitty and Dad took me because he thought

was Kitty’s child— but he was

never the father, never the father of Kitty’s baby— never Rosie’s father … open my eyes suddenly.

Which means he was never my father either …

And he always knew

448

Rosie

“Well?” Megan urges as Jack slowly hangs up the

phone. “What did she say?”

My heart sinks as he slowly turns, his face pale.

“She’s dropping the case.” He smiles weakly. “The

article too. was right—professional suicide.”

“That’s wonderful!” Megan cries, grabbing me in

hug. hold her tight, that little voice in my head finally

extinguished in the flood of relief.