she dialed Sam.
When he picked up, she didn’t even bother with a greeting, but instead stormed
straight into the heart of the matter. “Are you the donor?”
“What?” Sam questioned, befuddled.
“Tell me you are not our donor,”
McKenna screamed into the line.
Sam paused a moment too long. Hot tears
streamed down her face as she covered her mouth to hold in the gut-wrenching
sobs that threatened to overwhelm her.
“McKenna, I’m coming over. We’ll talk
about it then.”
“ No !” McKenna screamed a few
minutes later when they stood face-to-face once again in her bedroom. Only she
wasn’t taking this lying down. She was pacing back and forth like a mad woman, pulling
at her hair. Sam had never seen her this upset.
“McKenna, please,” Sam pleaded. “You have
to understand…”
“I don’t have to understand anything,” McKenna screeched. “How many times, Sam? How many times have I asked
you about our donor? You knew how important this was to me, and you sat back
and said nothing. Does Abby know the truth?”
Sam clenched his jaw tight and looked away,
refusing to answer. His silence spoke volumes.
“Oh my God,” McKenna cried. “I’m the only
one that didn’t know. I am the laughingstock of this family. When I’m not
around, do you guys sit around and talk about what a stupid little fool I’ve
been?”
“McKenna,” Sam declared firmly. “You know
none of us would ever do that. When your parents came to me and said they wanted
to have a baby, Kate and I weren’t ready to have children yet. We had several
long discussions and in the end, I did it because of everything she had done
for me. She saved my life, and it didn’t feel right saying no. Had I had any
inkling someone like you would be the result, I may have reconsidered.”
“ What !” McKenna sobbed.
“Fuck,” Sam growled. “That didn’t come
out the way I meant it.”
“ Get out !” McKenna screamed.
“No wait…”
“ Get out … Get out … Get
out !” McKenna raged as she began throwing anything she could get her hands
on in his direction.
As soon as Hannah and Willow walked
through the garage door, they heard the commotion drifting down from upstairs
and rushed forward. Seeing Kenyon sitting casually on the sofa playing his
game, they both came to a sudden halt.
“What’s going on?” Hannah asked.
“Take a guess,” Kenyon retorted.
Sam suddenly appeared, taking the steps
two at a time. He didn’t stop until he was in Hannah’s face. Pointing angrily
at her, he yelled, “You promised me you wouldn’t tell her until she was ready!”
“Tell her what? What are you talking
about?” Hannah asked.
“You told her about it ,” Sam
answered.
“No,” Hannah gasped in horror as her eyes
drifted up the stairs.
“Sorry guys,” Kenyon shrugged. “I was the
one who told her.”
Before Hannah could respond, she heard a
bloodcurdling, piercing scream.
“ Mom-my !”
Glancing back and forth between the
stairs and Sam, Hannah let out weary sigh. She patted his arm reassuringly. “She’ll
be fine.”
Once she gone, Sam looked back and found
Willow glaring at him.
“What?” he questioned defensively.
Willow growled as she pushed past him
towards the stairs.
“W-w-why?” McKenna sobbed, crying so hard
she was practically hyperventilating.
Hannah walked in calmly and pulled her in
her arms. McKenna struggled for several moments, trying to pull away, until she
eventually grew limp in her mother’s arms. “Calm down, McKenna. Just breathe,”
Hannah whispered as she stroked her hair and led her towards the bed.
“Why didn’t you tell me the truth?”
“We were going to tell you when you were
ready,” Hannah answered evenly.
“I’m eighteen,” McKenna sobbed.
“And clearly not ready,” Hannah said as
she pulled down the blankets. “You need to lie down for a bit. You’ve had a
very bad day.”
Once McKenna was settled, Hannah stretched
out behind her and stroked her hair.
Under the Cover of the Moon (Cobblestone)