Everything We Lost ~ The Hamilton Series ~ Book 1

~ Savannah ~

A disappointed huff escaped as Savannah peered into the empty mailbox. It had been seven long days since they'd visited the lab. Every day, she checked the mail after school, but each day, nothing.

She combed her fingers through her hair and peered down the street, hoping to spot the mail carrier. How long did a simple, teeny, tiny DNA test take? The gathering of the sample had been quick and painless, even if it felt awkward being there with both her dad and the man who was in all likelihood her father. She yanked open the front door, letting it swing shut with a bang as she entered the house.

"Easy there." Her dad looked up from his task of sorting paperwork, his eyebrows rising as she stomped into the room.

"The results aren't here." Savannah dropped onto the chair across from her dad with a grimace, pushing a pile of paper out of the way. "They're taking forever." She drummed her fingers against the tabletop.

Her dad held up an envelope and waved it in the air. "I was tempted to open it, but perhaps you want the honors?"

"Finally." Savannah grabbed at the piece of mail.

Ross pulled his hand back, keeping it out of her reach. "Remember, if the results aren't what you hoped, you need to stop searching and wait until you're eighteen. You promised, right?"

"Cross my heart." She swept her finger across her chest. "I won't search anymore. It's just he was right there and so easy to talk to." She stared at the envelope as he placed it on the table, keeping his hand on top. Her knee bounced and her fingers twitched as she resisted the urge to lunge across the table and grab it.

"Well, he's very straightforward and seems a good person. I suppose he's not a crazy person or a stalker." He extended the envelope.

Savannah snatched it from his fingertips, holding it close to her chest while she took a deep breath. After ripping it open, she unfolded the enclosed papers. Her hand rose, and she pressed her fingertips to her mouth, tears brimming in her eyes.

Conclusive, 99.99%, Aiden James Thomas Franklin Hamilton is not excluded as the biological parent of Savannah Jayde Phillips.

"I'm sorry, honey." Her dad's voice cut into her thoughts. "It was a long shot, right? Now you can put it to rest."

"No. Look." Vanna leaped from the chair, swiping at the tears. "He's my father." She shoved the papers at him, bouncing on her toes as her dad inspected them. "Aiden explained this while we were waiting at the lab. This is a positive result."

It seemed forever before he looked at her. "Wow."

Savannah smiled widely, her tears drying as the initial shock passed. She reclaimed the papers and examined them again, looking at the number in case she'd misread it. 99.99%. There was absolutely no doubt. "I found him. I can't believe it. Aiden's my father." Her hand went to her lips and she nibbled on her nails. "I wonder if he knows. Can I phone him?"

"He said you could call anytime. I'm sure he'll have the results by now. It's surreal you found him on your trip." Her dad's head bobbed as he mumbled, "What are the odds?"

Savannah pretended she hadn't heard the last part. "I was pretty sure. How many baby girls could be put up for adoption on the same day in one hospital?"

"Hard to say. The information's private."

"That was rhetorical, Daddy. We can't know definitively. Logically, even if half of the babies born were girls, there couldn't have been more than one or two babies given up for adoption that same day."

Ross rolled his eyes. "You spend too much time on Google."

Maybe she had spent too much time analyzing the situation. She'd thought of nothing else since Aiden had visited Portland, but she didn't care. The final goal was in sight and she'd found the Aiden Hamilton.