don’t care what those stupid test results say. You’re not my mother. My mother died five years ago.”
“I realize this is hard for you, Julia. It’s hard for all of us. But I assure you, I am your mother.”
“That’s just biology.” Julia folded her arms across her chest. “Lots of women have kids. That doesn’t make them mothers. Mothers stick around. They care about their kids. They don’t…” She swallowed. Tears glinted in her eyes. “They don’t disappear and then come back not remembering anything.”
Kate’s heart broke for the girl. “If I could change it, Julia, I would. I would in an instant.”
Julia looked away. “Doesn’t matter. It still doesn’t change the fact that I don’t need you or want you around. And neither does my dad.”
The words felt like a slap in the face. Kate recognized the girl was striking out, but it still stung.
“He loved my mother, a lot,” Julia went on. “And seeing you has been hard on him, but he’s not in love with you. He knows that now. He’s only being nice to you because of those tests, because of your…boy.” She pushed her soda away in disgust.
“Julia.” Kate tried to keep her voice calm and soothing. She was the adult. She had to remember that. Although, at the moment, she really wanted to run screaming out of the restaurant and indulge herself in a good long cry. “I’m not trying to get in the way of you and your father. I wouldn’t do that. I just want to spend some time with you, get to know you a little. Your dad wants to do the same with Reed.”
Julia bit her lip. “They said you already got remarried.”
Kate’s chest tightened. “They did? Your dad told you that?”
“Not exactly.” Julia looked down at the worn table. “I heard him talking to Uncle Mitch about it. Did you?” When she shot a nervous glance up, Kate saw the questions swirling in her green eyes.
This wasn’t the way she wanted the conversation to go. But she couldn’t change the subject. Not when it was so important. Figuring honesty was the best route to take, Kate nodded. “I thought so. I don’t really know how to explain the situation because I don’t quite understand it myself. But I thought I was married. If I had known about you and your dad, though, things would have been different.”
“He died, right? That’s why you came looking for us.”
“Yes, he died. That’s how I found out about you.”
“What was his name?” Julia glanced back down again. Kate could see this was hard on her but that she was curious, so she let the topic continue, for now.
“Jake. He was a doctor.”
“Do you miss him?”
Kate let out a breath. “I don’t know what I feel right now, Julia. Things are pretty messed up at the moment.”
“But you weren’t really married to him, right? ‘Cause legally, you’re still married to my dad.”
Oh, man. There was a thought. And a reality. “No, I guess I wasn’t. Your dad and I haven’t even talked about that yet, though.”
Julia twirled the soda glass between her hands. “You will. And you can fix it. People get divorced all the time. My dad will go for it.”
Another slap. Kate didn’t quite know why it hurt so much.
“He’s over you, you know,” Julia went on. “He dates lots of women, has since just after you left. I think he stays with them when he goes on trips. One time, I called his hotel, and a girl answered.”
Heat crept up Kate’s face.
“I’m more grown up than I look,” Julia said. “I know a lot about what adults do.”
Kate ran a hand over her forehead. This definitely wasn’t what she’d wanted to talk about today. She needed to get the conversation back on neutral ground.
“Julia, let’s try to focus on you and me. We’re here because we need to get to know each other. Your dad and I will work things out on our own. I don’t know what will happen, but I’m going to be around, for you and for Reed. I promise you that. I’m not leaving.”
“You said that once before.” She glanced away. “Whatever. Can we go back now? I want to see my dad.”
This was going to be a lot harder than Kate had originally thought. All those nifty ideas about being one big happy—albeit dysfunctional—family dissipated into thin air.
Kate paid the bill, and they drove back to the park in silence. Julia refused to talk to her