I knew who she was instantly.
Not because I remembered her.
Because I had imagined her face a thousand different ways, and somehow reality still recognized me first.
“Dylan,” she said softly. “It’s been a long time.”
My body went cold.
My dad didn’t speak. He just stood there beside me, shoulders tense, jaw locked so hard I could see the muscle twitch.
I didn’t hug her. Didn’t smile. Didn’t ask why she was here.
I just said, “What do you want?”
Her expression flickered, but only for a second. Then she reached into her tote bag and pulled out a large manila envelope.
“This is for you,” she said. “It’s a surprise.”
There are moments when your instincts scream before your brain catches up. That was one of them. My stomach dropped so hard it almost felt like a physical blow.
I took the envelope anyway.
Inside was a DNA test.
My hands started shaking before I even finished reading the first page.
