Chapter 5 - Claire’s Mother Had Kept One Boundary
Claire had only one living relative who had known her mother before Claire was born.
Her aunt Susan.
Susan Shaw lived outside Madison, Wisconsin, and answered Claire’s call while watering tomato plants behind her townhouse.
When Claire said Harold Mercer’s name, Susan stopped talking.
That silence was answer enough.
“You knew him.”
Susan sighed.
“I knew of him.”
“What does that mean?”
“Your mother knew him.”
Claire stood at her kitchen window while Ethan watched from across the room.
“How well?”
“Claire…”
“I have a DNA report saying my daughter is related to him.”
Susan put down the watering hose.
“He was married.”
Claire closed her eyes.
“So was Mom?”
“No. Your mother met your dad later.”
That mattered.
Claire’s father, Thomas Bennett, had raised her until his death from pancreatic cancer when she was twenty-six.
Claire had adored him.
Susan continued carefully.
“Rebecca worked for an architecture firm in Chicago after college. Harold was one of the clients.”
“Did they have an affair?”
“Yes.”
The word landed with almost disappointing simplicity.
“Did Mom ever tell Harold she was pregnant?”
Susan hesitated.
“I don’t know what she told him.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“It’s the only one I have.”
Claire almost hung up.
Then Susan said, “Your mother left Chicago abruptly. She came home to Madison for four months. She was angry, scared and determined that nobody was going to build her life for her.”
“Was she pregnant then?”
“Yes.”
Claire sat down.
“Did Dad know I might not be his?”
“Thomas met Rebecca when she was already pregnant.”
Claire stopped breathing for a second.
Susan’s voice softened.
“He knew.”
Claire covered her mouth.
“Your father chose you, Claire.”
Those words mirrored Ethan’s situation so closely that Claire almost laughed.
Both of them had been raised by men who might not have contributed their DNA.
Both families had buried it.
And somehow they had married each other.
Susan added one final detail.
“Rebecca made me promise something.”
“What?”
“If Harold ever came looking for you, I was never to give him your address.”
Claire frowned.
“Why?”
“She said he’d made his choice.”
“When?”
Susan’s voice dropped.
“Before you were born.”
Claire looked at Ethan.
Harold had not merely lost track of Rebecca.
May you like
Claire’s mother had deliberately kept him away.
The question was why Harold later stood at Claire’s wedding, recognized Rebecca’s photograph—and said nothing.
