Free Happenstance by Jamie McGuire Page B

going to say?”
    “I don’t know, but I don’t want you to hear it.”
    Weston hesitated, and then grabbed my hand gently. “Does she hit
you?” I shook my head, and Weston sighed with relief. “When are you going to
learn that I don’t judge you, Erin? I love everything about you. I always have.”
When I didn’t respond, he squeezed my hand. “Let me come with you. Please?”
    I nodded and turned off the engine. We both walked to my house,
hand in hand. When we walked in, Gina was sitting on the couch, her expression
blank. Two police officers were standing to the side, and a woman from DHS was
sitting next to her. She smiled at me.
    “Hi, Erin. My name is Kay Rains. I’m from the Department of Human
Services. We’ve come because of certain circumstances regarding the death of
Erin Alderman.”
    “Okay . . .” I said, completely confused. Did they think her
death had something to do with me?
    She smiled, noticing my nervousness. “It’s okay, Erin. You’re not
in any trouble.”
    “What’s with the cops, then?” Weston asked. His hand was still
firmly holding mine.
    Kay nodded. “We didn’t mean to frighten you. It’s just procedure.
We need you to come to the hospital with us. There is some confusion.”
    I frowned. “With the Erins? What does that have to do with me?”
    Kay stood. “An autopsy was requested for Erin Alderman. The
results were returned last night, and the parents have questions. If we could
just get a blood sample from you, we can get all of this cleared up.”
    “A blood sample? You still haven’t said what this has to do with
Erin,” Weston said.
    Kay sighed. “The results have shown that Erin Alderman is not the
biological child of Sam and Julianne Alderman. Erin Masterson’s results are
normal.  You’re the only female baby that was born at Blackwell Hospital on
September fourth. In fact, you’re the only baby that was born, besides the
girls that passed away, within three days of your birthdays.”
    “Are you saying that you think Erin Alderman is Gina Easter’s
daughter, and Erin is . . . Sam and Julianne’s?” Weston said. We both gasped
when he finished his last word.
    Kay touched Gina’s knee, even though she wasn’t visibly upset. “Unfortunately,
that is what we suspect.”
    Weston and I looked at each other, both of our mouths hanging
open.
    “I’ll . . . uh . . . I’ll drive you.”
    I nodded.
    “We’ll return her shortly, Ms. Easter.”
    Gina nodded, and we all left her alone in the living room.
    My shoes crunched against the gravel as we walked to Weston’s
truck. He opened the door and picked me up, sitting me in the passenger seat
without effort. He looked straight into my eyes.
    “Is this for real?” he asked.
    I shook my head, unable to speak.
    Weston got behind the wheel, and followed the DHS car and the two
police cruisers to the hospital. We were escorted to the lab, and then sat in
the waiting room. Weston held my hand. I stared at the white tile floor, unable
to speak, or even think. My brain felt stuck, as if it wouldn’t allow me to even
explore the possibility of what all this meant.
    “Erin Easter,” the tech said. I stood up, and Weston stood up
with me.
    “Just her, please,” Kay said.
    I nodded to Weston and he sat.
    The tech led me through the door into a small room with cabinets
and a counter top. He gathered a long rubber strap and clear tubes on a silver
tray next to me. I looked away, letting him stab me with the needle, feeling
him move just slightly as he switched out the tubes. He extracted the needle,
placed a cotton swab on the puncture site, and taped it down with a hot pink,
sticky material that looked like a piece of ace bandage.
    I stepped out to find Weston standing in the waiting room,
between Kay and the police officers. “What now?” I asked.
    Kay offered a sweet, reassuring grin and handed me her card. “And
now we wait. If you need anything at all, call my cell phone. It’s listed on
the card.