Leanne finds a manila envelope laying on the table in the entry way as Ariel heads up the stairs that evening.
"What is this envelope?" Leanne calls after her.
Ariel stops halfway up the stairs, "That guy came in again today. Security was less than thrilled, and tried to escort him from the property."
"Were you there?"
"I was at the registration desk when he came in. His name was Kaden. I told him that if he wrote down what he wanted that I would pass it along."
"Ariel, you shouldn't have done that."
"There were six security guards in the waiting room. He was wearing a tank top, a pair of shorts, and some flip flops. I was certain that Jim, or Paul, or Greg could take him. He didn't try to do anything. I truly believe he was just trying to get in contact with you."
"But you have no idea why?"
Her brows furrow, "Mom, I didn't violate his privacy, or yours. I have no idea what he wrote in that note. I'm going to go shower. I smell like gravy from the cafeteria."
"Okay," Leanne agrees.
She grabs the envelope, and makes her way into the kitchen. She grabs a glass, and presses it against the door of the fridge until it fills with water. After a moment she places the glass on the counter. There is a sticky note written in Ariel's scrawl on the front. If this is a threat alert security. Leanne rolls her eyes, and rips open the envelope. A name, and date of birth are written across the top of the note. There is contact information included at the bottom. Between demographics are two lines. The first being, Dear Dr. Leanne Rorish,. The second contains only four words. They completely gut her.
By the time Ariel gets out of the shower, and makes her way to the kitchen for sustenance Leanne is sitting on the floor. She leans against the kitchen cabinets, still clad in her scrubs. Ariel stops in the doorway.
"Did he threaten you? Why do you look like that?"
Without a single word Leanne vacates her seat on the floor, and brushes past Ariel. She heads to her room, and retires for the night.
The following night Dr. Campbell locates Dr. Rorish on the roof after she slips free of her security detail. The grey metal door with worn paint slams shut in the wind as he exits onto the roof. She spins around, and finds him approaching with a determined look in his eye.
"Why are you up here on the roof when you're supposed to have a security detail following you?"
"I can't fling myself off the roof with security following me around," she answers.
"That's not funny. Leanne, do you want to tell me what the hell is going on? Security said that Ariel intervened, and the guy gave you a note. They're worried that he is a threat. They want answers."
She exhales, and shakes her head, "I don't owe anyone answers."
"Please just give me enough to get security out of everyone's hair."
"Will, it's personal."
"They think this guy is coming in here with the intent of perpetrating violence against you. How can you be so nonchalant about all of this?"
She shrugs, and vehemently avoids eye contact. "Maybe he is."
"What do you mean maybe he is?" His brow eyes narrow.
"Hurt people can hurt people."
"I don't understand what is going on here, at all."
In an excited utterance, "He's my son!"
He falls utterly silent as the floodgates rupture. He exhales, and then takes a step closer to her. He wraps his muscular arms around her, and holds her close. She buries her head into his chest. Eventually she wriggles free of his grip. She wipes her tears, and snot on a tissue she's pulled out of the pocket of her scrubs.
"I knew this day could happen eventually. I guess that maybe I just hoped it wouldn't happen so damn publicly."
"I'm so confused. You're telling me that the six foot three twenty one year old kid of mixed race that keeps popping up in the waiting room is your son?"
"And if he weren't the qualities you just listed we wouldn't be having this conversation."
He furrows his brow, "I can't even pretend that I understand. What are you telling me?"
"Decades ago I was several weeks away from my wedding when I went to a medical conference."
"I still am not following."
"Apparently I had cold feet."
He nods, "I can understand that sentiment."
"You know how those medical conferences go. After the lectures are over there is a lot of alcohol followed by a lot of questionable choices."
"So let me get this straight. You went to a medical conference at some point before your wedding, and you hooked up with someone other than your future husband, and got pregnant?"
"Yes," flatly.
"And I have never heard you mention him because you did not raise him?"
"Correct."
"His biological dad raised him?" He guesses trying to patchwork together the pieces.
"No. He did not. I never told him."
"Oh," he falls silent.
"I never told anyone, except my husband. It was something he took to his grave."
"I am hearing what you're saying, but it still isn't making sense to me. All of the things you're saying go against everything that I know about you."
"To be clear not all of the decisions that were made were ones I wanted to choose."
"Did you know that you were pregnant when you got married?" His eyes narrow.
She shakes her head, "No. It was the morning sickness a week into my honeymoon that tipped me off."
"Did you know the whole time?"
"I was pretty inebriated. I didn't realize for a couple of weeks that I should even be concerned. I picked up all of the film from the wedding, and a random roll I found in my glovebox. It was from the medical conference. There was a picture of a group of us hanging out by the pool. Sitting in my car in the safety of my driveway I realized that there was a possibility the unborn child I was carrying wasn't his."