A Decade For Nothing novel · Chapter 19 of 24

Chapter 19: What the Swab Said

It was Lydia, with two paper cups in a cardboard tray.

She stood on the mat in yesterday's dress with her shoes back on, and she did not say a word.

"No," I said.

"I know."

"I haven't asked you anything yet."

"I knew what you'd say," she said. "I'm still here."

I looked at the two cups.

One said Levi on the side in black marker, in her handwriting.

I opened the door the width of one arm, took the cup, and shut it again.

I heard her breathe out on the other side.

Then I heard her go down the stairs, fast.

The test came back on Monday at nine minutes past nine.

I read it standing in Nan's kitchen, with Joel eating cereal out of the box and Nan holding the edge of the counter.

The lab's page was plain.

Alleged father: Levi Harrow. Probability of paternity: 0 percent.

"Zero," Joel said, around the cereal. "Zero zero. They don't even do a decimal."

Nan took the phone out of my hand and held it far from her face until she could read it.

"Well," she said. "There it is in black and white."

She gave it back and wiped her eyes with a dish towel.

"I never doubted it for a second."

"Nan."

"I'd have liked a bigger font."

That afternoon, by every measure the internet had, the story turned over.

The clip with the caption was gone from two platforms.

Gordon had been served on Sunday by two lawyers and a detective from the county.

My manager called to say she had stopped taking calls from men who knew Gordon, and that my shifts were mine whenever I wanted them.

I did not care about any of it.

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