Chapter 7

Insanity was contagious. It was the only reason Alexander could use to explain why he'd actually taken Hannah's hair for a DNA test. As he grew older, though he refused to admit it, he'd slowly accepted that his mother would never return. Memories he thought he'd forgotten turned out to be as vivid as the day they'd happened as soon as he thought about them. How many things could a six-year-old remember? Too many. He remembered Hannah making him phonetic cards, taking him to the zoo, and telling him bedtime stories. Alexander sat dazedly on the couch. It was as if he couldn't feel the passage of time as his memories flooded his mind. He felt like they'd happened in a different lifetime, leaving him empty inside. The impostor looked too much like Hannah. Even the way she'd called him "sweetheart" was the same as how Hannah had done it. Because of that, Alexander remembered even more things. He'd received an email at 8:00 am—the DNA test results, which he'd had expedited, were out. He told himself he'd only done the test to see what tricks the impostor had. However, his fingers trembled as he touched the screen, belying his lack of calmness. One would only feel nervous when one had expectations for something. Perhaps there really were miracles in this world. Alexander opened the email to see that miracles really happened. His mind short-circuited and went blank. He took a long while to calm down, unable to describe how he felt. The report was right before him, and he was filled with disbelief. Then, he called Quill Manor. "It's me, sweetheart. Where are you? I'll go to you so we can talk about this face-to-face, okay?" Alexander's lashes trembled when he heard Hannah's familiar voice. He tried his best to keep his voice from shaking. "I'll be back at noon." He needed to verify this. "Alright. I'll be waiting," Hannah said. Alexander hung up and headed to the bathroom, his hands and feet moving awkwardly. He was awake, but his soul had left the vessel. He needed to think long and hard about this. … Hannah was delighted to receive Alexander's call. She knew he must have seen the DNA test results. Joseph put a dampener on her mood. "Alex is very cautious. He won't believe anything he thinks is illogical, no matter how much evidence you produce." Hannah's smile froze. She crossed her arms and glared at him. "He wasn't like this when he was younger." Whatever it was, she was the real deal and could make it through any test. She got up and looked imperiously at Joseph. "I'll settle the score with you some other time! Alex loves my honey-glazed pork ribs—I'm going to cook!" She flounced to the kitchen without another look at him. Joseph remained seated, his expression ugly. He liked honey-glazed pork ribs, too. He knew Hannah had been lying when she said she loved him the most! … Per Joseph's prediction, Alexander didn't immediately reunite with Hannah when he arrived at Quill Manor. He remained cold and distant. Hannah was unfazed. She'd prepared herself for this when bustling around the kitchen earlier—she knew Alexander needed time to accept the truth. She ignored his icy expression and beamed at him, beckoning him to sit at the dining table. "I made your favorite, Alex—honey-glazed pork ribs!" He didn't budge. "I want to speak to you in private." Hannah was taken aback. Then, she took her apron off while heading to the sink. "Sure. Wait for me in the study. I'll be right there." Alexander nodded and left. He didn't spare Joseph, who was still seated on the living room couch, a glance, let alone talk to him. Joseph looked like he was used to it. He didn't seem to think anything was wrong with it. Alexander and Hannah sat opposite each other in the study. Alexander suddenly asked, "Why did you act like you were scared of bugs when you weren't?" Hannah laughed. She said, "When you were five, you used to scream and run away every time you saw a bug. I remember thinking that if you were to meet a girl who would also yell when she saw bugs, I couldn't let you two compete for who could scream the loudest. "My son had to be a hero who saved damsels in distress! Whenever I pretended to be scared, you would stand before me and tell me you'd protect me. Then, you'd pick the bug up gingerly and throw it away. "During that time, I had Wanda, our housekeeper at the time, collect various bugs and place them on paths we would take. Slowly, you went from being scared of bugs to not fearing them at all." Alexander's tense expression softened slightly as he listened to Hannah. He'd asked her about this because he'd suddenly remembered something. When he was younger, he'd cried and made a fuss about wanting all the bugs in the world to disappear. At the time, Hannah had looked at him in distress, saying, "Oh, dear. What will we do about you when you start dating, you silly thing?" His memory and her explanation matched up. He asked her many more things about his childhood. Most of his memories of their time together were clips—there wasn't a start or an end to explain what had happened. Many of his questions about his childhood were answered as he listened to Hannah recount the past, strengthening her image as his mother. Of course, Hannah couldn't remember everything perfectly. She couldn't recall a few things Alexander brought up and had nothing to say. "Do you believe me now, Alex?" she asked, clasping her hands tightly. She felt nervous. Alexander pursed his lips. "I don't know." Hannah felt less nervous when she heard this. His willingness to be honest about his feelings showed that he was starting to accept the situation. "I need to think more about this. I… I'm leaving." He hurried out of the study and manor as if afraid of something chasing him. Alexander basically already believed Hannah was who she claimed she was. He just didn't know how to face the situation. Was he going to hug her legs and cling to her like he'd done as a child? He couldn't do it. The passage of 15 years had brought with it distance and aloofness. Alexander's mind was a mess; he needed time for the dust to settle. Hannah could understand how he felt but was still a little crestfallen. "Things didn't work out?" Joseph had been making a call at the balcony. He saw Alexander drive off and head inside to be with Hannah. "Well, his missing mother of 15 years is suddenly back with a fantasy story to explain her disappearance. It's to be expected that he can't immediately accept the truth," she said. In fact, the problem wasn't just about whether Alexander could accept the situation. He and Hannah also needed a new way to be around each other. She sighed. Her baby was no longer six years old. Joseph pulled her into his arms. "It's alright—it's just a matter of time. Alex will eventually accept this…" He pulled out a chair for Hannah. Then, he abruptly stopped talking when he turned to look at the dishes on the dining table. "Where are the honey-glazed pork ribs?" A maid was bringing out the final dish. She explained, "We packed the pork ribs into containers for Mr. Alexander. We put them into his car while he was upstairs." Hannah had informed the household staff to do so before heading to the study. Her instinct told her Alexander wouldn't stay for lunch, so she'd instructed the chef to pack the pork ribs into containers and place them in Alexander's car. Sure enough, her prediction had come true. It seemed she had quite the foresight. Joseph hummed in acknowledgment before scooping food onto Hannah's plate with a smile. He looked unaffected, but deep inside, he was wailing. He would've stopped Alexander from leaving if he'd known things would turn out like this! Hannah smirked slightly when she sensed his true emotions. Did he think he'd be able to enjoy her cooking so soon? Well, he was wrong. It would depend on how well he performed in the future!