19

19

As the clock struck three in the afternoon, eight exhausted men trudged back to the hospital with two little girls in tow, their energy sapped from the amusement park adventure.

The DNA results were finally in their hands.

The skinny male escort who resembled a walking telephone pole, suddenly leaped three feet in the air, shouting, "Yeah!"

He acted as if he'd just won the lottery himself.

Realizing his outburst, he felt embarrassed but couldn't contain his joy.

The others began lighting up cigarettes one by one.

Only Granger, my old classmate, was grinning from ear to ear, his excitement palpable. He abruptly patted me on the back, feigning tears that wouldn't come.

Instead, he crouched down to embrace Olyvia, saying, "Oh, sweetie, Daddy's so sorry for all these years."

Bodhi tapped Granger on the shoulder, "This one's not yours, she's mine, mine..."