An Act of Persuasion(30)

“You’re sure?”

“I’ve never been able to find any records of an Elizabeth Rochester or Luis Summers that fit the description or age of my parents in the states of New York, New Jersey, Delaware or Pennsylvania. The only thing that makes sense is either my father or mother gave the hospital fake names when filling out the paperwork for my birth certificate.”

“They could be real names, but not from anywhere around here. Maybe they made their way across the country to the East Coast.”

“Maybe. It’s a possibility. But I was born here. They were drug users here. I can remember that much. You might think they had a criminal record, but there was nothing in the system for either of those two names. Two fake names on a certificate, not easy to track down.”

“What are you thinking?”

Anna shrugged. “I’m thinking you can do your magic. There were two people in this world. They lived and breathed. They conceived me. They lived together with me for a time at least. And left me. I would like you to find them. I would like to know if there is any family history I can trace.”

Mark hesitated. “This could open up a big can of worms for you. Emotionally.”

She’d finally confessed she’d been in love with Ben for six years. She would become a mother in the next six months. And she had no idea what the hell Ben meant when he said they were just beginning.

Can open. Worms out.

Besides, after all these years, finding her parents felt like the right thing to do. She was going to be a mom. She was going to have to, by moral obligation, give a shit about another human being who, for the first time in her adult life, wasn’t Ben Tyler.

It wasn’t right to hold on to her past like some kind of armor shield. She needed to let it go if she intended to give her child her full self. But before she could do that she needed answers.

“I’m ready for it. Whatever you find.”

“Okay.”

“I get an employee discount, right?”

“Absolutely,” Mark said, holding out his hand so they could shake on it. “Is, like, two percent off okay? Or hey, I know, I’ll write up a coupon and you can use that.”

“I can’t believe you decided to work for the government so long ago when clearly comedy has always been your calling.”

“I’m multi-talented. You still have that birth certificate?”

Yes. It was stupid, because she knew it wasn’t real. Not really. But it was her only connection to the parents she vaguely remembered having. “I’ll bring it in.”

“Great. Now, how’s your shorthand, kid, because I’m ready to dictate that letter.”

Anna stood, shaking her head. “A letter. That’s funny.”

* * *

ANNA ARRIVED HOME to find Ben waiting on the steps of her building. It was hot and humid and he looked a little wilted, as if he’d been waiting a long time. She could only hope he hadn’t been here all day.

Part of her filled with dread. The fact that he was here meant they were mostly likely going to have another confrontation.

The other part of her was happy to see him, of course, and she hated that part like a nagging toothache. Just. Go. Away.

Finding a parking spot, she did a quick and efficient parallel maneuver and stopped the car within six inches of the curb like a proper city driver. When she approached him, she saw he had a stack of books and two brown bags on the step next to him.

“Please tell me you haven’t been waiting here since this morning or I might actually have to say I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I left once I realized if you came out any later, you would be late for work. You’re never late for work. You could have told me.”

“I told you last night I would take the bus.”

“You could have told me this morning.”

She could have. Only she didn’t want to send him a text because then he would have her new cell phone number. A number she’d purposefully changed after she’d left him as a way to make her feel more separated from him. So much for that strategy.

“Or I guess I could have called and confirmed,” he admitted more to himself than to her.

“You don’t have my new number,” she reminded him.

He sighed. “Anna, of course I have your new number.”

Right. Because he was Ben Tyler. Spymaster. Sometimes she forgot because, aside from the crazy things that happened every once in a while—like the current president of the United States calling to get his opinion on something, Ben was mostly a normal man.