A Secret in Her Father's House, A Pregnancy Neither Can Hide novel · Chapter 17 of 24

Chapter 17: History

Henrik took the chair by the window and sat with his hands on his knees.

The doctor shut the office door.

She sat on her stool, facing the two of them, and put a folder on her lap.

"I'm going to ask this once, plainly," she said. "I knew your mother, Henrik."

"I took the stitches out of your chin when you were nine. So I'm asking."

She looked at him.

"Is the father of this child also her father?"

Alana did not breathe.

She had told him to say nothing until she spoke.

"Yes," Henrik said.

It came out level and complete, and the doctor nodded, slowly.

"Thank you."

"I want to say something."

"Henrik," Alana said.

"I want to say it." He kept his eyes on the doctor. "I'm fifty-four. I knew exactly what I was doing from the first night."

He did not stop.

"She's my daughter, and I wanted her, and I took it. Whatever comes of that is mine. All of it."

Alana went cold.

She heard the old story in it, the one he had told her was a lie.

Her chest went tight with anger.

The doctor said, "I see."

"Is there anything you need from me?"

"Your history."

He gave it.

He did it in the plain voice he used for tide tables.

His father had a heart attack at sixty-one and lived.

His mother had diabetes.

His brother was drowned off the bar at forty.

He said that last one in a flat voice, and the doctor wrote it down.

"No inherited conditions that you know of?"

"None."

"Alana's mother's side?"

"I'll ask her," Alana said.

Her voice came out very quiet.

The doctor looked between them.

"Here is what I can tell you," she said. "There is a higher chance than usual of a problem that runs in families. It is still a small chance."

She turned a page.

"Most babies from a pairing like this are healthy. I'd like you to see a genetic counselor in Portland, and I'd like the blood tests done early."

"Yes," Alana said.

"There is no judgment in this room. I'll say that now." The doctor's voice was dry. "I've been in this town a long time, and people are a good deal more careful than they look."

← Chapter 16 · All chapters · Chapter 18 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend