All Chapters of Icing The Heart: Chapter 101 - Chapter 107

Mara moved toward me.I stepped back.“Don’t.”“Jaxon.”“Don’t touch me.”Cruz released my arm.Good.I needed space.I needed—Rory.My child.Our child.No.My chest tightened.Air stopped working properly.Bennett picked up the radio.“Richard.”“Bennett.”“Is Jaxon your biological son?”Silence.Everything in me went still.There.The question.The only question that mattered.Richard answered.“Yes.”My stomach dropped.No.No.No.Cruz looked at Mara.Mara looked horrified.Bennett’s face emptied.I laughed.One broken sound.Of course.Of course this was where the night had been going.Every secret.Every lie.Every adult who thought protecting children meant refusing to tell them who they were.Rory.My—No.I turned away.“Jaxon.”Cruz.I walked.“Jaxon.”“Leave me alone.”“You’re not going anywhere alone.”I turned.“Do you understand what he just said?”“Yes.”“No, you don’t.”“I understand the claim.”“It wasn’t Robert.”“No.”“It was Richard.”“Yes.”“My father.”“Yes.”“

Tomorrow had spent most of my life being an ordinary word until a machine decided to use it as a threat.I stared at the screen.SECOND PATERNAL DESCENDANT DETECTED.DESCENDANT TWO: MALE.LOCATION: ST. MATTHEW’S MEDICAL CENTER.EXPECTED EVENT: TOMORROW.Nobody spoke.That was impressive considering the people in the room had spent the last several hours proving they were physically incapable of keeping information to themselves once it became sufficiently horrifying.Jaxon stood beside me.His hand was still around mine.Bennett stared at the screen like she could arrest it.Cruz had gone very still.Mara looked confused.Sarah looked frightened.Daniel looked like he was mentally reviewing twenty-two years of secrets to determine which one had finally come back with hospital parking.Robert was the first to speak.“Impossible.”I looked at him.“That word has had a terrible night.”He ignored me.Bennett stepped closer to the monitor.“My father had another child.”The statement soun

The next weeks were ugly.Truth usually is.Robert Kane was charged.So was Elias Voss.Several people connected to the programme were arrested within forty-eight hours.Others ran.Bennett seemed personally offended by that.“They won’t get far.”I believed her.The archive went to multiple agencies.And journalists.That part was mine.Bennett objected.Then stopped objecting when I reminded her what happened the last time government agencies were trusted with the only copies.Clara had been right.Evidence needed redundancy.Names needed daylight.The facilities were shut.The surviving subjects were identified.Some wanted their records.Some wanted nothing to do with us.Both choices were respected.Amelia started therapy.Then convinced Jaxon to go too.He complained.She threatened to tell me.He went.Evan kept the library.That surprised everyone except Evan.He reopened it six months later.No lower access.No hidden doors.No programme.Just books.He kept one small plaque

We won.I say we because marriage entitled me to partial ownership of Jaxon’s athletic achievements.He disagreed.This remained under negotiation.After the game, we waited near the locker room.Clara had fallen asleep against me.One shoe still missing.Jaxon emerged with wet hair and a suit that probably cost more than my first car.He saw us.Smiled.Then looked at Clara.“Is she asleep?”“Yes.”“I heard she said dada.”“Who told you?”He held up his phone.Thirty-seven messages.I looked at Lila.She shrugged.“Family group chat.”Jaxon looked unbearably pleased.“She said dada.”“She also called Bennett dada.”His smile weakened.“What?”“And Richard.”“No.”“Daniel.”“Stop.”“Cruz.”“That doesn’t count.”“Why?”“She has masculine energy.”Cruz was walking behind him.“I heard that.”Jaxon looked over his shoulder.“Respectfully.”“Still heard it.”He looked at Clara again.“I’m counting it.”“Of course you are.”He kissed her forehead.She stirred.Then opened her eyes.Saw him