Chapter 13 - Ethan Learned the Truth in Pieces
The process took months.
That was good.
Children should not receive life-changing truth because adults are impatient for emotional payoff.
Ethan first learned that the hospital had made a mistake about his birth records.
Then that Ruth believed another family might be connected to him.
Then that Grant might be that family.
He asked practical questions.
“Does my birthday change?”
No.
“Does my name change?”
Only if he ever wanted it to.
“Is Ruth still my mom?”
Yes.
“Do I have to live in the mansion?”
No.
“Will Celeste come back?”
No.
That answer relaxed him most.
Grant noticed.
The final genetic testing was performed only after Ethan’s legal representative, Ruth, and the appropriate authorities approved the process and a child specialist prepared him.
Grant spent the waiting period refusing to imagine a result.
He failed constantly.
He pictured Elena’s face.
A baby he thought he buried.
A seven-year-old eating cereal in Ruth’s cottage.
Then he corrected himself.
Ethan existed regardless of the result.
The relationship they were building existed regardless too.
They played chess badly.
Grant taught him how to throw a baseball.
Ethan taught Grant a card game Grant suspected had invented rules.
One afternoon Ethan asked:
“If you’re not my dad, can I still come here?”
Grant looked at him.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I like you.”
Ethan considered that.
“Okay.”
May you like
Grant smiled.
That answer felt healthier than destiny.
