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She opened the folder, and all our eyes went to it, hoping for our first glance at the answer, the big question coht, nue in a table

"We are an AABB-accredited lab that provides results with an accuracy level that encies" She tugged out the top sheet of paper "When we have a case that includes a child whose parentage ht involve issues of custody across international borders, we have to dot a few e around "Our test looks for sixteen genetic enetic ed father’s" Her fingers trailed down the numbers in the rows

I could already see the tally at the bottom: 999 But I wasn’t sure which way it went It talked about exclusions

"So on the mutations in the markers, but in this case, the conclusion was sufficient to satisfy both a court and the embassies" She looked up "It proves without a doubt that the child and the father are related"

Rosa let out a breath, her hands flat on the table Gavin’s jaas tight, theas he tried to s

I couldn’t think, the words still hanging in the air like laundry on a line I blinked, working to believe it, trying to let thee andat the numbers I felt Tina’s presence behind me, her hands on my shoulders like she had done the day before, in the lab

Then everything came at asping for breath,any sound, just sucking in air

"Breathe, Corabelle, breathe in," Tina said

Gavin turned toto be all right We’ll figure this out"

"She just got discharged yesterday," Tina said to the social worker "She’s had pneuail asked

"She’ll be okay," Tina said "Let’s give her a moment"

I listened to all this i about someone else All I could see was Gavin as a child, his expressions, his irin, the swirl of his hair over his ears I realized I had seen it all along in Rosa’s son, and I had known, but was unwilling to acknowledge it

"That’s better," Tina said "Keep breathing Take it slow"

The roo me to him He shouldn’t do that, not in front of Rosa She loved hi child, not the dead one, not the one that was notup, suddenly wishing I was still in the hospital, a rooo to, a place to shut the door and not have to rely on anyone to take ht here" She wrapped her ar my shoulders and I realized what a friend she had becoo I did not knoould have gotten through this without her

"Corabelle, please don’t walk away," Gavin said "I’ anywhere I love you"