Chapter 4 - The Brother Nobody Mentioned
I thought I had misunderstood him.
“You don’t have a brother.”
Ethan didn’t answer.
I sat straighter in the hospital bed.
“Ethan.”
“He’s my half brother.”
“Since when?”
“Since always.”
I stared at him.
In seven years together, I had met cousins, second cousins, college roommates, former coworkers and one elderly piano teacher who still sent him a Christmas card.
Not once had he mentioned a brother.
“What’s his name?”
“Daniel.”
“Where is he?”
“California.”
“Why have I never heard of him?”
Ethan looked toward the hallway.
“Because my mother hates him.”
That almost made me laugh.
“Your mother hates half the planet.”
“Not like this.”
“Explain.”
He sat down.
“My dad had an affair before Lauren was born.”
I stared.
“With Daniel’s mother?”
“Yes.”
“And Daniel is older than Lauren?”
“Four years younger than me.”
“So Richard cheated on Margaret during your childhood.”
“Yes.”
“Does Lauren know?”
“No.”
“Does Margaret?”
“Yes.”
That explained more than I wanted it to.
“Your mother stayed.”
“Barely.”
“And Daniel?”
“Dad paid support. Saw him sometimes.”
“You knew him?”
Ethan hesitated.
“That’s complicated.”
“Stop saying things are complicated when you mean you lied to me.”
His face tightened.
“I met him when I was seventeen.”
“And?”
“And we became close.”
I blinked.
“How close?”
“He’s my brother.”
“Close enough to ask for sperm?”
Silence.
That silence made my skin crawl.
“Ethan.”
“He offered.”
“He offered?”
“He knew about the diagnosis.”
“How?”
“I called him.”
I pulled the blanket away and swung my legs toward the floor.
“Emily, what are you doing?”
“I need space.”
“You’re supposed to stay in bed.”
“And you’re supposed to be my husband.”
He flinched.
Good.
“Did the clinic know he was your brother?”
“Yes.”
“Did they know he was related to you?”
“Yes.”
“Did I sign documents agreeing to a known donor?”
“You signed the consent forms.”
“I signed what you handed me.”
His expression changed.
That was when I understood.
I felt sick.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing illegal.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“Emily—”
“What did you do?”
He rubbed both hands over his face.
“I knew you wouldn’t want Daniel.”
“You’re damn right I wouldn’t want a donor you’d hidden from me.”
“You wanted a donor who looked like me.”
“I wanted honesty.”
“He’s genetically close to me. Same paternal line. Same family medical history.”
“You tricked me.”
“No.”
“You let me believe he was anonymous.”
“I thought it would be easier.”
“For who?”
He didn’t answer.
“For you,” I said. “It was easier for you.”
The door opened.
Lauren walked in carrying my overnight bag.
She stopped when she saw our faces.
“What happened?”
“Ask your brother about Daniel.”
The bag slipped from her hand.
Not dropped.
Slipped.
Slowly.
Like her fingers had stopped working.
I stared at her.
“You know too?”
Lauren’s eyes filled with tears.
“Emily.”
“Oh my God.”
“I only found out six months ago.”
“How?”
She looked at Ethan.
He said nothing.
Lauren pulled the door shut behind her.
Then she whispered, “Dad told me.”
“Why?”
“Because Daniel contacted him.”
Ethan stood fast.
“What?”
Lauren looked terrified.
“When?”
“Last month.”
“You said six months.”
“I found out about Daniel six months ago. He contacted Dad last month.”
“Why didn’t Dad tell me?”
“He was going to.”
“When?”
Lauren swallowed.
“After Daniel threatened to come here.”
My stomach went cold.
“Come here for what?”
Lauren looked at me.
Not Ethan.
May you like
Me.
“He found out about the pregnancy.”
