Born to Fight

Chapter 10

Celeste

I was still sitting at the table and trying to wrap my mind around everything that Josh had just told me, when we heard a knock on the door which made me jump. Sensing my sudden tension, Loki jumped up from his spot on the floor and started whining as he rested his right front paw on my knee. Jamie got up from the table, and after a brief glance at me, he went and answered the door, leaving me and Josh sitting in an incredibly awkward silence. I kept my eyes on Loki, gently rubbing his ears and letting him know that I was okay. As I did that, I heard voices coming towards us from down the hallway.

Looking up I saw that Josh was quietly watching me, and I instinctively stuck my hands deeper into the thick fur on Loki's neck, so no one would see they were shaking. Leaning down, I rested my head on Loki’s, seeking the comfort that he always seemed to be able to give me.

But I sat up, all thoughts of comfort forgotten when I heard footsteps entering the room. I looked towards the doorway and saw Jamie standing with a man who looked like the mirror image of Josh. If what Josh had said was true, then this man was my father. If Josh was right, that meant this man is the man who had had no problem abandoning me and my mother before I had even been born. He had had no problems with leaving my mother to battle on alone as a single parent while also being a full-time career woman.

Seeing him standing there so casually, I suddenly felt like I couldn’t breathe. I felt my anger begin to spike as I looked at the man who had merely been a sperm donor to me. For some reason, my mother had loved this man, yet he had had no problem abandoning her when she had needed him most. Sensing the onslaught of emotions that were beginning to consume me, Loki suddenly stood up and started growling at the man who was still standing in the doorway.

Jamie seeing what was happening took a step forward, but Loki was having none of it. He started barking at Jamie. Since I had met Jamie, Loki had never had a problem with him. Loki had treated Jamie like he was his new best friend. But now, Loki wasn't allowing Jamie anywhere near me.

“Celeste, you need to get him under control,” Jamie said looking at me. “Celeste!” Jamie snapped in a harsh tone.

At the sound of his harsh voice, I jumped, my eyes flying to Jamie’s face. I looked at Loki and reached my hand out and gently placed it on his head. Then grabbing his collar, I pulled him in closer to me. When everyone could see that Loki was calmer, Jamie motioned for Josh’s dad who was now standing behind him, to take a seat at the table beside Josh. The man walked over to Josh and placed his hand on Josh's shoulder before he took the seat Jamie had directed him too. Once he was seated, I took the opportunity to scrutinize him. While I did this, I noticed he was doing the same to me.

“Okay, so, as you now know, I have asked my dad to come over here to talk to you and to answer any questions you may have,” Josh said.

“I saw you at my mother’s funeral,” I said looking at Josh’s dad.

Josh's father looked over at her, “Yes, I was there,” he replied.

“Why?” I asked. I wasn't beating around the bush with him. I wanted answers and I wanted them now. I had waited for years to get answers to so many questions about who I was. I wanted to know about the DNA that I got from this man. Josh's father could provide those answers for me. I needed to know what I got from him. So I wasn't holding back. I was sick of everyone always keeping me in the dark. Josh should have told me the truth sooner. I deserved his honesty.

“Why does anyone attend a funeral, honey? To pay their respects of course!” he replied, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Don't call me honey. And why would you need to pay your respects to her? You abandoned her years ago! You had no right to be there. She survived without you. She raised me without you. You just abandoned her without even a second thought. Did you even think about her at all over the years? Did you ever wonder about me?” I asked, wanting answers while trying to keep my emotions in check.

“I was there for you,” he calmly stated.

"I'm sorry... what did you just say?" I asked, not understanding what he was referring to.

"I was at the funeral for you," he repeated.

“You were what? Do you honestly expect me to believe that? You don’t even know me! You abandoned my mother as soon as she told you that she was pregnant! You have been nothing to us my entire life! You are still nothing to us... nothing to me! You will never be anything to me except the sperm donor who abandoned my mother when she needed him the most,” I spat out vehemently, as my emotions suddenly got the better of me.

“You are angry, I understand that. And I get it. But as Josh said, I am here to answer your questions,” he said, remaining as calm as he had been from the moment he had walked into the room with Jamie.

“I have one question,” I said, looking him in the eye.

“And what’s that?” he replied.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“Bill,” he replied.

“Bill as in Billy?” I asked.

“Yes, some people call me Billy,” he replied.

With that one sentence all the air was ripped out of my lungs.