“My sister suspected.”
“Your mother knew.”
“Yes.”
“My mother.”
The biker paused.
“Our mother.”
The father looked away.
The biker immediately regretted the phrase.
“Sorry.”
“No.”
The father rubbed his face.
“Say it.”
The biker waited.
The father looked at him.
“Our mother.”
The words seemed to physically hurt him.
“She gave me away.”
The biker said nothing.
“She kept you.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
The father turned sharply.
“You read the letter.”
“I heard part of it.”
“What did she say?”
“Medical crisis. Money. Family pressure.”
“That’s not why.”
“You don’t know that.”
“You don’t give away one twin and keep the other because of a hospital bill.”
The biker’s jaw tightened.
“I know.”
The father kicked lightly at the tire.
“Sorry.”
“You don’t owe me an apology.”
“Yes, I do.”
“For what?”
“For making you responsible for something people did before you could open your eyes.”
The biker studied him.
“You really are related to me.”
The father almost smiled.
“Why?”
“Because my sister says I apologize during arguments too.”
The father looked down.
A small laugh escaped him.
The tension eased by a fraction.
The biker leaned against the truck.
“My parents loved me.”
The father nodded.
“So did mine.”
“That makes this harder.”
“Yes.”
“If they had been terrible, maybe anger would be simple.”
The father looked toward the diner window where his daughter was watching them.
“My parents were good people.”
“So were mine.”
“They never told me.”
“Mine never told me either.”
They stood together in silence.
The biker finally said, “We should get a test.”
The father nodded.
“DNA.”
“Yes.”
“Today.”
The biker looked at him.
“Today?”
“I’ve spent forty years not knowing. I’m not waiting longer than necessary.”
The biker smiled faintly.
“Okay.”
The father’s eyes moved toward the motorcycle.
“That yours?”
The biker nodded.
The father walked closer.
He studied the bike.
Then laughed.
“What?”
“I ride.”
The biker stared.
“What?”
“Not that. I have an old Indian in my garage.”
The biker shook his head.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“What year?”
The father told him.