Chapter Six
Kurt looks at Miranda confused. He's counted with many different replies, but it never crossed his mind what if she'd deny everything.
"Please don't lie to me. Don't you think I have a right to know my son?"
"How many times do I have to tell you that he is not your son?" she stays calm, keeps her voice low, Kurt still has a strong belief that she isn't saying the truth.
"But what if he is? If there's a slight chance he is mine I want to grab it. We can take a paternity test."
As much as he doesn't like the idea of her sleeping with other men while they were together, he cannot rule that out, but a test result would be irrefutable.
"We have nothing to talk about," Miranda stands up and Kurt suddenly feels helpless.
He knows he cannot do anything to stop her from leaving, even though he is convinced she's lying, that he could very well be Kenny's father, but for some reason she doesn't want to acknowledge it.
"Just think about it, please? I know it came as a shock to you that I know, but you can imagine my surprise yesterday. He is a wonderful little boy and he needs his father, let me be a part of his life, please?"
Miranda looks down on him, but stays silent. He'd give anything to read her mind, but instead he has to watch her walk out the door and he's afraid he might never see her or his son again.
His first thought is to call Diane right away, partly to tell her what has just happened, so she knows, but he also needs advice, maybe even legal advice. He hasn't called her today yet, even though she disappeared without a word, which is unlike her, but he understands why she needed to get away. Nevertheless a call certainly cannot hurt, she might even appreciate it, so he takes out his cell phone right away to dial her number.
But the call goes right to voicemail, which disappoints him very much. He doesn't want to worry, she knows how to take care of herself after all, but he wishes to talk to her nevertheless. He finishes his second coffee of the day and leaves the shop with hasty steps. He gets into his car and decides to drive home, make lunch and hopes Diane will show up to share it with him.
o-o-o
He takes the last bites from his plate, while the other one next to him is still empty. He's already called Diane another time and plans to repeat it once more before he gives up. He doesn't even care if it makes him look like the worried husband, he simply needs to tell her what happened as soon as possible.
He stands up to put the plate in the sink when his cell phone rings and he answers the call immediately without checking the caller ID, thinking it's her.
"Hey, where are you?"
"Mr. McVeigh? I'm Tanya, Miranda's sister."
This is a call Kurt hasn't counted with, but he's definitely interested in what the woman has to say. He's guessing she and Miranda have already talked about their meeting, since enough time has passed since then.
"Hi," he says simply, waiting for the woman to explain why she's called.
"I just wanted to apologize."
"For what?" he asks, confused. Is she apologizing for Miranda's behavior or her own? Suddenly some uneasiness takes over him and the few seconds he has to wait to hear her voice again seem far too long.
"I feel awful, I guess I assumed you were Kenny's father because Miranda never mentioned that she was seeing someone else on the side. She was probably just embarrassed."
"What are you talking about?" the woman's troubled voice just adds to the seriousness of her words, but Kurt tries to ignore all the signs. He didn't believe what Miranda told him, because he would understand her reasons to lie, but now her sister is suddenly on the same side.
"That now I know that I was wrong, I falsely believed that Kenny is yours, when he really isn't, I feel so stupid now, I hope you forgive me for dragging you into this."
"Are you serious?"
"I am very sorry Mr. McVeigh."
Before he is able to reply anything the woman hangs up and he stands at the table with the phone in his hand and feels like crashing it against a wall. Without thinking he tries to call Diane again, but only gets her voicemail, which makes him even angrier.
He doesn't know what to do now. They cannot really expect him to forget about Kenny so easily. He saw that boy, he even looks like him. He did have an affair with his mother, so no matter what Miranda or her sister – who suddenly had a change of heart – says the boy can be his. All he needs to do is prove it and he'll be able to claim his rights as Kenny's father.
He considers his options and decides not to wait for Diane anymore. He cannot sit around feeling helpless, he has to turn to someone for help and he believes he knows who he should call.
"It's Kurt McVeigh," he says when the other end picks up after just a few rings.
"Hey, it's been a while," he hears the familiar voice, "Is everything all right? You sound troubled. I hope Diane is fine."
"She is, but I'm afraid I need your help."