This is a short story I wrote.
The Next Chapter
By Jeffrey S. Martin
She closed the book, placed it on the table and, finally, decided to walk through the door. Its vapid contents hadn’t assuaged her fears at all, as it turned out. Most waiting room materials were mere distractions at best. She felt as if the nurse had called her an hour before, although at most it had been thirty seconds.
Just blurt it out Leah, she thought. Just blurt it out.
She entered the room. There he was. She saw him. He saw her. She was looking directly at him! He was real, and he was sitting behind the desk, distinguished yet ever so slightly disheveled. He looked up at her with a clinical gaze, sizing her up as she entered the room. She had wondered if he would, on some level, somehow, recognize her—if he would realize why she was here.
He glanced down at his appointment calendar to reassure himself of her name, then said, “Good afternoon, Miss Rutledge. What brings you here today?”
She smiled; it felt forced. She hoped he didn’t notice. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m a little nervous.” She looked around the room. Aside from the usual office clutter there were many, many books as well as framed diplomas and certificates listing honors and accomplishments. She also noticed that he lacked a wedding ring.
He chuckled. “That’s perfectly normal,” he said. “Cosmetic surgeons are used to nervous patients.” He waited a beat then added, “At least the first time.” She knew he was trying to put her at ease, but she also knew that she wasn’t a patient.
I should have let him know I was coming first, she thought. Too late now. Her mind began to whirl. She had worked through the scene in her thoughts for years, but now that she was here it was as if she had been struck dumb.
It is said that in the face of death one’s life flashes before one’s eyes; Leah felt as if this was happening right now. She remembered growing up with her two fathers, knowing something was different about her family. She remembered how they had been so honest with her, and how they had told her that some day she could potentially meet her biological father if
she chose to do so. She had struggled with the decision for two years after she reached legal adulthood, and now she was here.
“I’m fairly certain that I’m your biological daughter,” she said.
“Oh, is that all?” he said without missing a beat. “I was convinced you were here for bigger boobs.”
She knew it was going to be a good meeting.
Love it!
This is- wonderful.