Charlie held the envelope in his hand. The results inside could change his and Amita's life forever.
"Aren't you going to open it?" Amita asked .
Instead of answering her, his mind wandered off to how it all began...
It was the day after their return to Pasadena from England.
They slept soundly,, when they heard knocking.
"uh...?" Charlie mumbled.
The knocking continued; a bit more loudly.
"Who is it?" Amita groaned.
"Me." Alan said. "Is Charlie awake?"
"I am now." Charlie sat up.
"I need to talk to you, Charlie. It's kinda urgent."
"Why?"
"I'll explain when you come out. Amita, go back to sleep. I'm sure you're still jet lagged from the trip."
"Just go talk to him." Amita advised, suspicious, that Alan told her to go back to sleep.
"Fine." Charlie put on some sweat pants, and a shirt he found on the floor. Then he came out of the room.
"What is it, Dad?"
"There's a woman, with a child, in the living room."
"And?"
"She claims that you're the kid's dad."
"What?" Charlie said more loudly than he intended." Let me talk to her."
Charlie, impatiently went down the stairs before Alan could protest.
Charlie asked the woman "Who are you?"
" Rose Connell's sister."
"Rose Connell?" Charlie repeated.
"So you did know her!"
"I'm not admitting anything." Charlie said, and looked at the boy, who had black, curly hair, and dark eyes.
"The Kid's name is Hugh." the woman said.
"What's going on?" Amita ran down the stairs. Alan followed suit.
"Uh...this woman claims that the child next to her is mine and that she's the sister of an ex girlfriend." Charlie said nervously.
Amita just looked at him, stunned.
"My sister told my mother that a Charles Eppes, a math professor, was the Hugh's father." the woman insisted. Look, I'll leave you my information, so that we can set up an appointment to do a DNA test. I'll happily give permission. I'll also wrote down the name of the prison, where Rose is at, but good luck getting anything outta her."
With the confused. boy in tow, the woman left. As soon the the door closed, Amita started. "What the hell, Charlie? I can't believe this is happening! Weren't you careful?"
"I was...mostly" Charlie said.
"Mostly? So I can expect more of these humiliations?"
"No no no no!" Charlie insisted.
"Don't you realize what you've gotten yourself into?"
"I know..."
"No you don't!" Amita snapped. "What are you gonna do now?"
Just then, Don came in.
"Hey guys! Who was that leaving the house?"
"Donnie!" Alan exclaimed with relief. "That was some woman, claiming that Charlie was the father of her nephew!"
"What? Hold on! Father?"
"Your brother" Amita seethed "has gotten himself into some trouble."
"Calm down and tell me what's going on?" Don firmly, but gently told everyone.
Alan told him about the the two visitors and what the woman had said.
"She must be pretty damn sure that you're the dad, if she's willing to agree to a DNA test." Don mused. "Did you go out with the kid's mom?"
"Briefly" Charlie admitted.
"How long ago?"
"Eight years ago."
"Charlie?" Amita's voice brought him back to the present.
"Oh..Right.." Charlie opened it, and read the results.
"Well?" Amita hinted as Charlie just stared at the results.
"I-I'm Hugh's father."
TBC