Andrew shook his head. He hadn’t even thought of that.
— Start there, — Dan said firmly. — Before you go blowing up this woman’s life, be 100% sure. Otherwise, you’re going to cause a mess you can’t clean up.
He was right. Of course he was. Facts over emotions. But when Dan left, Andrew looked at the paper again. “Children’s Hospital. Pediatric Wing. 8:00 to 5:00.”
To hell with the tests. He had to see her. Just once.
The hospital was a large, modern facility on the edge of the medical district. Andrew arrived at 2:00 PM, parked his car a block away, and sat there for a long time. What was he going to do? Walk up and say, “Hi, I’m your dad”? Ridiculous. She’d call security. He decided he would just look. From a distance. Confirm she was real. Then he’d figure out the rest.
Inside, the hospital smelled of sanitizer and floor wax. Andrew walked past the reception desk, acting like he knew where he was going. His heart was in his throat. He found her on the second floor, in a treatment room. The door was slightly ajar, and he saw her leaning over a little boy, maybe five years old, talking to him softly. The boy was crying—probably scared of a shot. Kate stroked his hair, smiled, and gradually, the child calmed down.
Andrew couldn’t look away. The photos didn’t do her justice. In person, she was… real. Blonde hair pulled back in a practical ponytail. Gray eyes—exactly like her mother’s, exactly like his memories. That high forehead, that stubborn chin. His chin.
— Can I help you, sir?
Andrew jumped. A nurse was standing next to him, looking at him with suspicion.
— I… — he stammered. — I’m looking for the pediatric specialist. For my nephew.
— Reception is downstairs, — she said curtly. — Visitors aren’t supposed to be wandering the halls.
Andrew nodded and hurried toward the stairs. His heart was still pounding. He’d done it. He’d seen her. And he knew, without a doubt, that she was his. He didn’t need a test. He felt it in his bones.
But what now?
He walked out of the hospital and stood by the entrance, reaching for his cigarettes. He’d quit five years ago when Eleanor got sick, but his hands were shaking so badly he’d bought a pack on the way over.
— You shouldn’t smoke right by the door.
He turned around. Kate was standing there, a light jacket over her scrubs. She must have been on a break.
— Sorry, — he managed to say. — Is it prohibited here?
— There’s a designated area around the corner, — she shrugged. — It’s better for the kids if the smoke doesn’t drift in.
She pulled out her own pack and lit a cigarette. Andrew mechanically clicked his lighter, offering her a flame.
— Thanks. — Kate took a long drag. — Who were you looking for? I saw you on the second floor.
— Me? — He scrambled for a lie. — Just checking on a specialist. For my nephew.
— Ah. Well, the main office is open until six. You’ll make it.
They stood there for a moment, and Andrew realized how insane this was—standing next to his own daughter while she had no idea who he was. But he couldn’t bring himself to leave.
— You’re a nurse? — he asked, knowing the answer.
— Yep. Eleven years now.
— Do you like it?
Kate gave a dry, tired laugh.
— “Like” isn’t the word. The kids are honest. They’re easier than adults. Adults lie, they play games, they let you down. Kids… they just tell you when it hurts.
There was a bitterness in her voice, a hint of old pain. Andrew wanted to ask more, but he didn’t dare.
— Anyway, — Kate crushed her cigarette in the ash urn. — Break’s over. Good luck with your nephew.
She turned and headed for the door. Andrew watched her go, and every instinct in him screamed: “Stop her! Tell her! Tell her the truth right now!”
— Wait! — he called out before he could stop himself.
Kate turned around, an eyebrow raised.
— Yeah?
He opened his mouth and nothing came out. What could he say? “I’m the father you never knew? I walked away thirty years ago?” She’d think he was a lunatic.
— Nothing, — he muttered, looking down. — Sorry. I thought I saw something.
Kate shrugged and disappeared behind the heavy glass doors. Andrew stood there for a long time, staring at the entrance. Then he slowly walked back to his car.
That evening, he went back to see Hope Gable. The old woman wasn’t surprised to see him.
— Did you see her? — she asked immediately.
— I did. We even spoke for a second.
— And?
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