Chapter 10 - Laboratory Results Confirm The Miracle We Never Expected
My fingers trembled as I tapped the smartphone screen to open the encrypted PDF attachment from Northwestern University. Alejandro pushed open the bedroom door quietly, stepping inside to stand beside me in the dim lamplight.
"Is it ready?" Alejandro asked in a hushed whisper, watching my face for any reaction. I scrolled past the technical genetic markers and legal disclaimers straight down to the final summary conclusion box.
“Based on rigorous mitochondrial DNA sequencing and familial STR profiling, the tested individual is definitively identified as Lucile Bennett, biological mother of Mariana Vance.”
A ragged gasp escaped my lips as hot tears spilled over my eyelids and tracked down my cheeks. Alejandro pulled me into his arms, burying his face in my neck as we shared a moment of overwhelming relief.
"She's really here, Alejandro," I sobbed quietly against his chest. "She's really back home where she belongs."
Across the room, my mother stirred in her sleep, opening her dark eyes to look at us standing together. "Mariana?" she whispered, her voice stronger and clearer than it had been all day.
May you like
I stepped away from Alejandro, rushing to the bedside and taking her frail hands in mine. "I'm right here, Mom," I smiled through my tears, kissing her knuckles gently.
"The bad men... are they gone?" she asked, a flicker of residual fear crossing her lined face. "They're gone, Mom," I promised her with absolute, unwavering conviction. "And we are going to make sure they never hurt you again."
Related Stories
