don’t need Kitty.

never did. And now know I’m better off without her.

can’t believe risked so much to find her, came so close to

losing everything

close my eyes, breathless with the

thought of it. It’s miracle. She’s dropping the case. She’s

not going to print the story, she’s not going to sue. Sarah’s

safe and Nana need never know— thank God!

“We should tell Holly!” Megan says suddenly. “She’ll

be anxious to know—”

“I’ll go!” Jack says quickly. “In fact, you three go

ahead to the restaurant and order me the spiciest pizza

they’ve got—I’ll see if bit of good news can’t tempt her

to come with us.” He heads upstairs.

“We’ll wait.” Megan smiles.

449

“No need. We’ll catch you up. You lot are slow

coaches, anyway.” He grins at Ben. “We’ll race you—last

one there doesn’t get any ice cream!”

“Go, go, go!” Ben screams, grabbing my hand and

racing for the door as Jack disappears upstairs.

450

Holly

He was never my Dad …

stare blankly at the phone. Which means

close my eyes as the sky falls in all over again.

It wasn’t

dream— or

mistake It’s true— it’s all

true— the baby swap, the Huntington’s …

crumple to the floor as my world crashes down

once more, twice as hard this time, million times more

excruciating after brief glimpse of hope.

And he knew

All this time—my whole life—he brought me up,

raised me

knowing he wasn’t my dad?

struggle to breathe.

Then when Rosie arrived, claiming to be me,

claiming she was Kitty’s daughter, that he was her

father— he let her! He let her take my family, my life, my dad— and she’s not even his daughter!

And he knew!

The door flies open and Dad bursts in.

“Holly!” he says urgently. “Holly, were you on the

phone just now—on the extension?”

bite my lip.

“Holly!” He stares at me, his eyes wide, anxious.

nod, looking away, the tears spilling over.

451

“Sweetheart!” He engulfs me in his arms, this man

who isn’t, who never was, my dad.

“You knew?” whisper incredulously. “You knew all

along?”

“No!” He cups my face, his eyes deep in mine. “Oh,

sweetheart, no,

only said that because Kitty …” He

hesitates, swallows. “I didn’t know,” he repeats, his eyes

full of sorrow. “But there were times when

wondered.…” He falters.

“Everything happened so soon after Kitty and

met—and we weren’t together very long.” He looks at me,

pleading with me to understand. “But Kitty told me you

were mine and believed her. wanted you to be! love

you so much—you’ve always been my daughter, you know

that. Blood doesn’t matter to us. We’ve proved that

already, right?” He looks at me fearfully. “Right?”

“Blood doesn’t matter?” ask, my voice wobbling.

“No,” he promises, pulling me close. “No, it’s never

mattered. Blood isn’t anything when it’s you and me.”

“Okay.” nod, my thoughts racing. “Okay, if that’s

true …”

“It is—sweetie, you know it is.”

“Okay. Then tell Rosie.”

He goes very still. “What?”

“If blood doesn’t matter

if it makes no

difference …” look at him, my heart pounding. “Then you

should tell her.”

“Holly …” He pulls back and looks at me. “Why?”

452

“You’re not her blood father,”

say, meeting his

gaze. “Just like you’re not mine. If it doesn’t matter, you

should tell her. And if it does matter …” search his eyes.

“She has right to know.”

Dad closes his eyes, rubs his hand across his face.

“Holly, I—”

“She has right to know the truth, Dad,” tell him.

He shakes his head, looks away.

“Holly, we don’t—we don’t even know if it is the

truth. Kitty might be lying now—in fact, she probably is!

She’s angry and spiteful, and she just wanted to hurt us,

sweetheart. She just wanted to hurt me— that’s why told her

already knew—that’s the only reason. There’s no

evidence that she’s telling the truth, and absolutely no

reason to believe her now!”

“Yes, there is.”

“What?” He frowns, confused, as my eyes fall to the

letter, discarded on the floor. Slowly, hand it to him.

“What’s this?” His eyes scan the page and watch as

the color drains from his face.

“You have to tell her,”

say quietly. “But if you

don’t …” take deep breath. “I will.”

“Holly, no.” He grabs my hands. “Please. You can’t!”

“Why not?” cry angrily. “Why shouldn’t I?”

“Do you have any idea how she would feel—to find

out something like this?”

“Yes, actually!”

choke on the words. “I know

exactly how she would feel!”

453

“Holly …” He looks at me, torn. “Holly, I’m sorry, but

that was different.”

“How?!”

“She only told you because she didn’t have

choice—you needed to know about the disease!”

“Lucky me!” laugh bitterly.

“Holly, if you told her the truth …” He trails off,

shakes his head. “Sweetheart, please, think about it. Your

biological parents loved you— I love you. Imagine how

Rosie would feel to learn that neither of her real parents wanted to know her—that they both abandoned her. Look

what she’s been through with Kitty!”

“I don’t care!” exclaim. “It’s the truth!”

“Holly!” He stands up, paces the room, hands in his

hair. “What is it—you want to hurt Rosie? It would make

you feel better if she knew wasn’t her father either?”

“Yes!” explode, the truth bursting from me like

jack-in-the-box—bright and bold, and ugly. “Yes! Why

should she get you as

dad if don’t— if she’s not even

really yours? It’s not fair!”

“Life isn’t fair, Holly!” Dad yells suddenly, his face

pale. “You think it was fair that the woman loved was

already pregnant with another man’s child? You think it

was fair that loved her so much didn’t care, didn’t

question, took them both on? That she then left me to

come flitting over here like moth to the spotlight? That

followed her, for Chrissakes, taking care of her child, loving her, and she didn’t even care?”

stare at him.

454

“You think any of this is fair, Holly?” he asks

wearily. “On any of us?”

bite my lip hard.

“But it stops here. Now. No more revelations that

are going to hurt this family—I don’t care if it’s the truth.

We’re saturated. We’re done.”

look away, the tears springing afresh, my hand

moving instinctively to my stomach.

No more revelations …

“I’m not going to tell Rosie, Holly.” He sighs. “And

neither are you.”

stare at my feet, my heart beating fast, my eyes

stinging. “Then can’t stay here.”

“Holly-berry.”

“No, Dad,” tell him. “I’m sorry. can’t stay if she’s

here.” look at him. “Not if you don’t tell her.”

“Holly!” He shakes his head. “Holly, please, telling

her would just be spiteful, vindictive—you’re not like that,

didn’t bring you up that way—”

“You shouldn’t have brought me up at all,” retort.

“You’re not my father!”

He sighs. “Holly …”

“Just like you’re not her father,”

say. “But you

won’t let her go. You’d rather have her as your daughter. Is it because she looks like Kitty?”