Page 151 of Halo

“Hrm.” She continues to write down my answers. “And since September … what has that looked like?”

“What do you mean?”

“How often do you see him? Are you involved in his day-to-day care?”

“Yeah. Of course.” My knee bounces. “We’ve been splitting time. He stays with me, I take him to school, pick him up.”

“Financially speaking?”

“Financially, I have the means. I buy his clothes, his food, whatever he needs with school.” I rub my palms over my thighs. “He has a room at my house, his own stuff ...”

Her expression softens. “It sounds like you two have become very close.”

A smile tugs at my mouth. “We are. I love him.”

She nods as she flips through some pages in the folder. “Okay, so let's talk about back in November. It’s my understanding that you filed a petition to establish paternity.”

“Yes ma'am.”

“And you haven’t appeared before the court yet?”

“No. My attorney said it could take a while to get on the docket.”

“So they have ordered genetic testing?”

“Not yet. That comes after the court orders it … right?”

She nods, her manicured nail trailing down the page as she reads.

My pulse hammers in my head, my nerves lodged somewhere in my throat. She turns another page, scans it, and I have to stop myself from telling her to hurry the hell up.

Just say we’re good to go. Take whatever information you need and let me take my son home.

Her gaze meets mine. “Dr. Crawford, the reason I’m asking these questions is because the information you’re giving me doesn’t match the records we received this morning.”

My brow furrows. “What records?”

“There is already an established paternity on file for Grady.”

I blink. “I’m sorry. What does that mean?”

“Paternity has already been legally established for Grady.”

“No. That's not right.” A nervous laugh slips out before I can stop it. “We filed in November. We’re still waiting for me to take the paternity test. Nothing has been established.”

“Dr. Crawford, someone else took a paternity test for Grady Stone.”

The room suddenly feels too warm, my chest unable to expand. “Then … I … I'm sorry. I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“I’m sorry, Dr. Crawford. Another man is Grady’s biological father.”

My mouth goes dry.

“But ...”

“I'm so sorry you have to find out this way.”

“But … but he's my son,” I choke out. “He's mine.”