I pulled out of Ethan’s arms and looked around frantically.
“I need to go.” I left his exam room and made my way to the front. I heard him calling me from behind, but I didn’t stop. I had one goal and one goal only, and that was to get to Jade.
I had just ripped open the driver’s door and was about to get in when Ethan pulled me away. I tried to fight him, but he got in front of me and blocked my way.
“You aren’t driving in your condition.” He held his hand out. “Give me the keys.”
I wanted to be stubborn, but that would only waste my time. I handed him the keys and rounded the truck to get into the passenger side. When we were both buckled in, Ethan peeled out of the parking lot and made his way to his house.
The closer we drew to his house, the more nervous I got. There was a very good chance that she wouldn’t even be open to talking to me. She could shut the door on me and then disappear again. But this time would be different. I would find her. It didn’t matter where she went, I would go after her. I wouldn’t throw in the towel this time.
Ethan came to a stop at his house. It was well past midnight, and all the lights were off.
I turned to him. “Do you have your keys?”
“I kind of left in a hurry, so I left them back at the office.”
“It’s fine. I’ll knock.”
I hopped out of the car and made my way up the porch steps. I stopped by the door and knocked loudly. I waited a minute, but there was no indication that she was coming. So I knocked again and again until I saw a light switch on.
I waited a few seconds and then she pulled open the door. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she looked like she had been crying up a storm.
“Grayson?”
There were a million things I wanted to say to her. The first was ‘I’m sorry’ but, when I opened my mouth, I found myself uttering a question that had plagued me since I had found out about my daughter.
“What was her name?”
Jade stood there staring at me. “Who?”
“Our daughter.” Even the word on my lips felt strange. “You said you didn’t abort her. Knowing you, you probably already had a name picked out. What was it?”
She blinked once and stared into my eyes. She blinked a second time, then looked away. Her eyes then came back to me, and I could see the glistening of unshed tears in her eyes.
“Mia,” she whispered. “Mia Stone.”
My breath caught in my lungs. Mia Stone. She had given her my name.
“I need to know, Jade. I know I am probably the last person you want to see right now, but I need to know. Please.”
Jade moved aside to let me in. “Okay. I will make us some tea, and we can talk it over.”
I stepped into the house and walked to the kitchen. I didn’t know how ready I was to hear all of this, but what I did know was that I needed to know everything.