Molly? Baby, wake up, I said softly, gently shaking her awake. Her eyes shot open, and she screamed once again before she realized it was only me.
Her eyes stayed frozen for a moment before they finally moved and looked at mine. Are you alright? I asked, worried.
Hes here, she replied softly.
What are you talking about? Whos here? She wasnt making any sense.
Denny, she muttered, her eyes staying wide with fear. Dennys here. I saw him.
When? Sweetheart, what are you talking about?
Denny! He was here tonight, she insisted. She was starting to freak me out. I got up and clicked the side lamp on so I could see her better.
Baby, listen to me. It was just a dream, okay? Youre safe. Hes not here.
She pushed herself up and leaned against the bedrail. Hes Stanleys partner, she explained.
I lowered my brows at her, curiously. Molly, that was Dan. Dan is Stanleys business partner.
Im not an idiot, Drake. His name is not Dan. Its Denny.
I think maybe youre over-tired. Perhaps you over-did it.
No, thats not it, she persisted, clenching her mouth. He lied. His name is Denny. Her voice was deep, threatening almost.
Im not sure why she insisted his name was Denny. I knew she had been going through a lot lately, and that perhaps she just needed some rest.
Did you have a nightmare? Maybe youre confused.
She whipped the covers off her and stood up. Im not f.u.c.king confused.
I stood up next to her and gently placed my hands on her shoulders to sit her back down.
Sweetheart, you need to sit down, please. Well figure this out, okay? She agreed and got back in bed finally. Can I get you some juice? She nodded and covered herself back up.
As I walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, my mind raced with thoughts of what Molly said. Could it be true? Did he look familiar to Denny? That had to be it. There was no other possibility.
I handed Molly a gla.s.s of juice and watched as she chugged it down. She started to look a little better, but I was still worried about her.
Better?
Yeah, thanks.
Does he look like Denny? I cautiously asked.
No, he is Denny, she responded calmly.
How do you know? Its been years since youve seen him, Molly. Im sure hes changed by now.
A few months ago, Stella, Michael, and I were at the cafe when Stanley showed up. He said he was meeting someone there for a business meeting. Denny showed up. He was his business meeting. I got Stella and me out of there right away before we could be introduced. I knew it the second I saw him, Drake. I never thought Id see him again, so I didnt say anything.
I stood there, watching her lips move. I wasnt sure what to think. How could she know it was him after all these years? I wanted to believe her, I really did. But with her hormones lately and the nightmare she just had, I didnt know what to think.
So why is he going by Dan now? Do you think he recognized you? I asked, needing to get more information.
Hes lying. Isnt it easy to change your name or something now? And no, I dont think he did. You never told him my first name.
Well s.h.i.t.
We lay in bed as I a.n.a.lyzed everything in my mind. I believed Molly. I believed that she believed it was Denny. I wasnt quite sold on it yet, and I felt horrible for that. However, when I was doing all my research on Denny when I thought he was the one behind the notes, I looked into his background. His business was in Iowa. From the looks of what I found, it was going very well. Thered be no reason to partner up with Stanley, or any business for that matter, unless he was looking to branch out and eventually sell.
There were no doc.u.ments showing a name or ident.i.ty change. As far as I knew, he was Denny from Iowa.
I ma.s.saged Molly back to sleep, hoping to get more answers out of her in the morning. It would be hard to ignore it, knowing that she believed it was him. Id have to talk to Stanley and see if he had any details on his background before I would know for sure.
By Monday, Molly had calmed down some, but still insisted the man was in fact Denny. I promised to look into it and find out all the information I could. I just wanted to help her realize that it wasnt Denny, that perhaps she was just paranoid still.
I spoke with Stanley and asked to get all his records about his new partner. I BSed my way through an excuse so he wouldnt suspect anything odd. If he was in fact Denny, I didnt want Stanley bursting the bubble just yet.
Drake? You have a carrier here for you with a large package. You need to sign for it, Carlas voice rang over the intercom.
Send it in, I responded. It was the doc.u.ments from Stanley that I had requested. I was eager to get a good look at them now while I could.
After signing and thanking the messenger, I ripped into it right away. Daniel Ronald West"ID, birth certificate, background check and information, banking information, every single job hes ever had, education transcripts"Stanley really went all out on sending me everything he possible could.
I spent hours looking through them, trying to put the pieces together. This guy had nothing on Denny. Not even from the same state. No criminal history. Not even a bounced check.
I Googled Denny McMillan but came up short on pictures. He didnt have a Facebook page or even a Twitter. All I found was his business webpage, but no pictures of him.
I decided it was a long shot, but I went for it anyway and called the business number.
McMillan Industries, how may I direct your call?
Yes, hi, Im looking to speak with Denny McMillan, please?
Do you have an appointment? she asked roughly.
Um no. My name is Drake, Im the CEO of Riverside Hotel. I just need like two minutes, I pleaded.
Hold on, she muttered.
A few minutes later, I was directed to another line. This is Mr. McMillan.
Hi, Mr. McMillan, so sorry to intrude. Im Drake Stagliano, CEO of Riverside Hotel and Restaurant Cooperation in Chicago, I hope to take a few minutes of your time?
I heard a shuffle and some movement before he responded. Yes, what can I do for you? His voice sounded deep, almost as if he was taken back.
Can you verify that you are the CEO of McMillan Industries? Im sorry to be so blunt, but my company is looking to reach out into some new endeavors and were still in the experimental mode, I lied. Your company was on our list of expansion opportunities.
Im sorry, you said this was Drake Stagliano?
Correct.
I listened as he cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable with my unexpected call.
Yes, this is Mr. McMillan, the CEO, however, we arent looking to branch out at this time.
Well, if Denny is here, who the h.e.l.l did I just speak to?
9.
Molly Seeing Denny in my house made me want to throw up. And not from nausea. Just the mere sight of him in my house, the thought of touching his hand, and the idea of his presence made me sick.
I didnt want to make a scene and tell Drake who that man really was, but after the dream I had, I knew I had to tell him. I knew I couldnt keep it a secret any longer.
After waking up from my nightmare of his hands touching me, his body hovering over mine"I completely freaked. I felt anger. I wanted revenge. I wanted to take him down and dig his grave. And the only way to do that was through Drake. Hed take him down. h.e.l.l, hed get things done to him, and I wouldnt even considering asking about it.
But never did I think Drake wouldnt believe me. Sure, Id been a hormonal, emotional nutcase lately, but I knew Dennys face. I knew it the moment his hand touched Stanleys shoulder and his face became visible. You dont just forget a face. Especially his face. And even though it had been years since I had seen him, I knew.
I could tell Drake was skeptical, but that hed figure it out for himself. Drake was stubborn like that, always needing the facts first, which I guess in the end I didnt blame him. Considering what happened with Travis, Im surprised he hadnt put a GPS tracking device surgically into my body by now.
My days were beginning to blend. I didnt know what day it was anymore. I slept most of the day while the kids were at school and Drake was at work, but Michael continued to work from home to watch me. I was in a funk"get up with Stella to watch her off for school, take a shower, eat breakfast, lie in bed, read, watch movies, take a nap, wait for Stella and Drake to get home, eat dinner, bed, and repeat. It was becoming monotonous"boring, old, and exhausting"monotonous. I was starting to think I was going crazy.
Michael? I called out.
Yes, babe? He walked into my bedroom, holding a notebook in his hand and a pen behind his ear. Hed been working overtime lately, blogging, doing interviews, and visiting fashion shows.
Can you grab lunch for me? Im thinkingPanera. I gave him my best pleading eyes.
Umyou asked me to order you subs less than two hours ago. He eyed me wearily, walking closer to me now.
I did?
Yeah. Dont you remember? You were flipping through channels when you saw a Subway commercial? You texted me? And I said I would at 1, after my conference call.
Oh. I chewed my lip as I tried to recall the event.
Are you feeling alright? He brought his hand up to my forehead.
I dont think you can check my forehead for losing your mind, I said seriously.
Sweetie, I think you need a hobby. You need to keep yourself busy besides watching chick flicks and reading s.m.u.t.
Like what? Im on bed rest. Really doesnt leave me many options. I furrowed my brows at him.
I dont know. You can still get involved. Start a pregnancy blog, or find a charity to get involved with via online, or write a journal. I knew he was trying to help, but it just made me more depressed. Anything but this. He waved his hand up and down my body.
This sucks. I wanna see you sit around all day long and get your insides kicked around.
No thanks, baby cakes. Im good with my internal organs just where they are. He smirked.
I blew out a slow breathe, trying to think of something I could do to keep my mind occupied. Not only was I extremely bored, but also I had a lot of time"too much time"to think, over-a.n.a.lyze everything, and worry about the twins. I was five and half months now. They were doing well enough where I didnt have to deliver early yet, but unless Baby B started developing at the right pace, I would more than likely have them earlier than expected.
When do I get to see the nursery? I asked.
Itll be done soon, I promise. Youll love it. Shades of greys and yellows. He beamed.
Greys and yellows? That sounds depressing.
I promise, its not, okay? You gotta trust me.
I really didnt have much of choice at this point. I had to make sure I was as stress free as possible and decorating a nursery would not be stress free. Michael pretty much took over the day he found out I was pregnant anyway, so I continued to let him do it his way. Plus, I had to admit, he had better taste than I did when it came to that stuff.
Fine, I trust you. I smiled. He leaned down for a hug and quickly kissed me on the cheek.
Ill run and get those subs for you, thats if you still want subs? he hesitated.
Yes, subs are fine. Thank you.
I decided to jump on my laptop as soon as Michael left. He was right. I needed to get involved in something. I needed to keep my mind busy.
I looked around for ideas of what Id be interested in when an advertis.e.m.e.nt caught my eye.
Are you adopted?
Cant find your birth parents?
Let us help!
And then of course, for a hefty fee, you could track down your parents. It had me thinking, what if you couldnt afford that kind of fee? What if the only thing stopping you from finding your birth parents was money?
In a way, I was lucky to know the truth. Not having to feel like I didnt fit in or belong because I knew who my birth father was, even if he didnt. It was easy to find information on him considering he was one Internet search away.
Although I wasnt adopted, I could relate to wondering how my life would have been different had my parents picked a different file. Would I look different? Would I be athletic? h.e.l.l, would I be a girl? Its easy to think these things when you know there was a choice. When its your parents, you know, youre a mix of them"half you mom, half your dad. But Im not. Im half my mother and half Stanley. What if my parents never knew who their donor was, like most people? Would I view my life different, or just accept it as is?
I was completely drowning in my thoughts, so I decided to search it some more. Every agency, corporation, or adoption attorney had a large fee"which was reasonable"but again, what if people couldnt afford that?