2. Billie

CHAPTER 2

BILLIE

" Y ou okay over there?" Monica raises an eyebrow at me from the other side of the office we share in downtown Olympus City.

"Huh?" I look away from my computer, where I've been working all morning designing a logo for a new cupcake company.

"You keep tapping your fingers against the desk."

"I do?" I glance down at my hand and sigh. "It's just… I guess I can't stop thinking about the whole genetics thing. The results should be back any day now."

"It's okay to be nervous." Monica slides in the keyboard at her standing desk. "I would be too. This is big."

"Yeah." I blow out a breath that fluffs my dark bangs and gaze out the window.

The office Monica and I have been renting together for the last few years is a total score. There's an amazing view of the harbor, and we can walk to all sorts of restaurants and coffee shops from here.

But not even the best view of the West Coast's tech hub can pull me out of this funk. I won't be resting until I see those results.

Suddenly, my phone buzzes on the desk. I jump, startled, and quickly pick it up. It's a notification from the genetics app, DNAU. The results are in.

I take a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest. "I don't know if I can open this."

Contained in this one app is all the information I've been searching for about Quinn. Her medical dispositions are only a click away.

And maybe there's more, too.

Monica comes over and puts her hands on my shoulders. "How about we pause and get a cup of coffee first? Maybe open it at the coffee shop?"

My fingers loosen around the phone, and I let out a long breath. "Okay. Let's go."

As soon as we step out of the office, the bright sunlight hits my face, momentarily blinding me. I squint and take a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. Monica places a comforting hand on my back and leads me towards the coffee shop across the street.

Once we're inside, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee fills my nostrils, and I take in the cozy atmosphere of the place. There are a few people chatting over lattes, and some others typing away on their laptops. It's comforting being in here, surrounded by all the plants and the colorful artwork.

We order our usual drinks and take a seat by the window, where I stare apprehensively at my phone, wondering what the results will reveal. My heart races with anticipation as I take a sip of my coffee, trying to calm my nerves.

Monica notices my hesitance and smiles gently. "It's going to be okay, Billie. Whatever the results say, we'll deal with it together."

I nod slowly. We sit in silence for a few moments, sipping our drinks and watching the bustling city outside.

"I keep thinking about… everything." I shake my head.

"Which part of everything?" She gathers her thick, curly hair into a bun and secures it with a tie.

I stare at my jeans. "Finding out I couldn't have kids. Kevin leaving…"

She makes a disgusted noise. "Kevin." She sighs his name like it's a disease, and that makes me laugh.

Monica never even met Kevin, but I'm not surprised by her response. He left me when we were halfway through the adoption process, saying that he "just wasn't ready" to have a family.

To say that crushed me would be an understatement.

I recovered, though. And I moved forward, applying for adoption alone and jumping on the first opportunity that came my way — a three-month-old baby girl.

The second I brought Quinn home, everything changed. She became my whole world. Since then, my number-one focus has been her.

I haven't even been on a date in the last six years.

That's not to say I don't long for a relationship. Of course I do. I'm human.

It's just that Quinn takes up all my time and energy.

I can't help but feel a pang of envy at the couples sitting around us. They look so happy and carefree. I wonder what it would be like to have someone to share the burden with, someone to hold me when the weight of the world gets too heavy.

But then I shake my head, banishing those thoughts. I don't have the luxury of indulging in those feelings.

I can feel the tension building up inside me. I keep glancing at my phone, the notification still unopened. Finally, I can't take it anymore.

"I'm going to do it," I say.

Monica nods in understanding, and I swipe the screen to open the app.

The home page lights up.

"What does it say?" Monica asks eagerly as I open the medical dispositions tab.

"It says…" My heart drops. "Not much. That she might be lactose intolerant."

"What?" Monica shakes her head. "Can I see?"

She takes my phone and goes through the app. Meanwhile, it feels like my stomach is on the floor.

Finally, Monica looks up at me. "Billie, there's something else here."

My heart is racing even faster now. "What? What is it?"

Her eyes are big. "This shows a link to a relative." She hands the phone over.

Taking a deep breath, I tap the notification and feel my stomach flip as the new page opens. My eyes scan the results, and there it is. A match. A match for a biological parent.

A father.

Everything goes blurry, and I have to put the phone down for a second.

The realization hits me like a ton of bricks. I never thought this day would come, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. On one hand, I've always wondered about Quinn's biological parents, but on the other, I'm not sure I'm ready to face the reality of it all.

"What does it say?" Monica prompts, her voice full of curiosity.

I clear my throat, trying to steady myself. "It says her biological father's name is James Garris."

Monica's eyes widen. "James Garris? As in the tech mogul?"

I nod, still reeling from the shock. "I… maybe?"

James Garris is a household name, known for his ruthless business tactics and his wealth beyond measure. Could he really be Quinn's biological father?

"I don't know what to do," I say, the words tumbling out of my mouth.

Monica places a hand on my shoulder, her expression softening. "Let's start by looking him up."

She's already on her phone. I'm not sure I want to do this right now, but it's too late. She's typing and reading out loud faster than I can compute.

"Okay, here's his bio. Born in California, college at Stanford… co-founded a tech startup in his twenties and quickly became a millionaire. Now, at thirty-eight years old, he's the CEO of GarrisTech, a company worth over fifty billion."

Monica looks up at me, excitement in her eyes. "Billie, you have to meet him. Think of the possibilities. Quinn could have access to anything she wants. Private schools, exclusive clubs. She could travel the world."

I shake my head, still trying to process everything. "I don't know if I'm ready for that, Monica. I mean, what if he doesn't want anything to do with us?"

"Come on, Billie. You owe it to Quinn to find out. And who knows, maybe he'll be thrilled!"

I take a deep breath. "Isn't he known to be an asshole, though? That's kind of his thing."

Monica shrugs. "Maybe, but you never know. He might surprise us all."

I chew on my bottom lip, considering her words. She's right about one thing: I do owe it to Quinn to find out the truth. But the thought of meeting James Garris, of facing him and telling him that he has a daughter… it's almost too much to bear.

But I know I have to do it. For Quinn's sake.

"Okay," I say, finally. "Let's do it."

Monica grins, already scrolling through her phone again. "I'll find his company's information. We'll set up a meeting."

As she types away, I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. This is it. The moment I've been waiting for, albeit unsuspectingly. The moment that will change everything.

I just hope I'm ready for it.

"Wait." I grab Monica's wrist. "Don't do it yet."

She freezes. "Okay…?"

I lick my lips. "Quinn's birth mom said that the father wanted nothing to do with them. That he walked out of their lives. I don't…" My voice cracks. "I don't want that kind of person in my daughter's life. Even if he does want to meet her, the chances of him letting her down will be high." I shake my head. "I'm not doing that to her."

"Okay." Monica puts her phone facedown. "I'm with you, then. You shouldn't get in touch with him."

"Except I need his family medical history." I point at my phone. "The app wasn't any help there. I need to know what sort of conditions I need to look out for with Quinn."

Monica's lips twist. "So you do want to meet him?"

"Yes, but I don't want him to know about Quinn." I drop my head into my hands and groan. "And yes, I know how impossible this sounds."

"Unless…"

I peek up at her through my screen of wavy black hair. "Unless what?"

"What if you got close to James somehow? And then you could ask him health questions and never tell him about Quinn?"

I laugh. "That's crazy. How would I even get close to him?"

Monica grins. "Maybe you could apply for a job at his company. Get to know him that way."

I raise an eyebrow. "You want me to work for Quinn's father?"

Monica shrugs. "If it means getting the information you need for Quinn's health, then yes. I do."

I chew on my lip, considering her proposal. It's risky, but it might be the only way to get what I need without involving James in Quinn's life.

I twist my fingers and stare out the window.

This is insane. What kind of cans of worms could I be opening up by doing this?

"I can't." I shake my head. "It's too risky. Let's just forget about this whole thing." I grab my latte and take a sip.

Monica looks disappointed.

"Fine," she says, picking up her phone again. "But we'll have to find another way to get that information."

We sit in silence for a few moments, both lost in thought. I can't believe this is happening. All I ever wanted was to be a good mother to Quinn, and now I'm tangled up in this mess with her father.

"There is no other way to get the information," I grumble.

She frowns sympathetically. "Maybe we could hire someone to break into his doctor's office and get it."

I laugh. She always knows how to cheer me up. "No. We're certainly not doing that, but thank you for the idea. I appreciate it."

She holds her coffee cup up for cheers. "Anytime."

As we finish our drinks and walk back to the office, I can't shake the feeling that Monica is right. I need to find a way to get that information for Quinn's sake. But how?