Chapter 6 - MARK’S STORY
Mark called Monday.
I almost ignored him.
Then answered.
“Claire.”
“What?”
“I need to explain.”
“Excellent. Start with why your DNA was submitted under Daniel’s name.”
“I didn’t know it was.”
“Try again.”
“I swear.”
His voice cracked.
“I gave a sample.”
There.
“When?”
“Seven years ago.”
“For what?”
“Mom said Daniel’s first sample was contaminated.”
I stopped breathing.
“What?”
“She said the office called and needed another male relative sample for exclusion comparison.”
“That makes no genetic sense.”
“I know that now.”
“You were thirty-three.”
“I wasn’t a geneticist.”
“You knew I was being accused of sleeping with you.”
Silence.
“Yes.”
“And you gave DNA without telling me?”
“Yes.”
“Without telling Daniel?”
Another pause.
“Yes.”
I gripped the counter.
“Why?”
“Mom said if Daniel knew the first sample failed, he’d refuse another test and stay with you out of stubbornness.”
“So you helped her.”
“I thought I was helping Daniel get certainty.”
“You thought giving your DNA under a false identity created certainty?”
“I didn’t know she used my name as his.”
“Then what did you think?”
“That it was a control sample.”
Maybe.
Possible.
Stupid.
Cowardly.
Not yet disproven.
“Did you ever come to my apartment for anything besides Daniel’s passport?”
“No.”
“Did you ever sleep with me?”
“No.”
“Did you tell Daniel that?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
Mark went quiet.
“When?”
“After the divorce was filed.”
Too late.
“What did he say?”
“He said it didn’t matter because the DNA proved it.”
And Mark had accepted that.
Everyone accepted the paper because accepting paper was easier than reopening family conflict.
“Why is Jessica terrified?”
His voice changed.
“What?”
“She looked like she knew something.”
“I don’t know.”
I believed he did not know.
Not entirely.
Before hanging up, Mark said:
“Claire.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry about Lily.”
May you like
“Which part?”
He had no answer.
