"Oh, God you don't know how long we have been looking for you, Jonny."
"It's Jonah." Keeping his tone even.
They all sat in the averagely spacey administrative office. Seated was the orphanage administrator Miss Fernandez, Sarah, Jonah and the visitors.
Mrs Harper, a petite old woman with an incredible form and hair the colour of snow spoke up again. "I know how odd this situation is but assure you we have a good explanation."
No apologies, just excuses Sarah reckoned, that was a bad sign.
"Care to elaborate, Mrs Harper?" Jonah asked cogently as though the tense atmosphere did not exist.
"Call me grandma, please." The old woman smiled.
The sentence made Sarah's stomach flip. Why the hell was she talking like that?
"Answer his question, Ma'am." Miss Fernandez looked at the old woman over the rim of her glasses. Her judgemental appeal, as striking as always.
"Yes, I will... sorry," the woman took a deep breath and turned to face Jonah directly. "This all could have played out differently, Jonah." She tapped the lap of her son beside her, Jonah's estranged father. "Tell your son, Charles."
This lady was pushing her luck. She kept speaking as though they had been there through everything. Miss Fernandez thought. It wasn't as if she had been any better, she sighed inwardly. She glanced at Jonah who sat calmly on his seat. Too calm.
A blond man whom Jonah probably got his blue eyes from cleared his throat. He possessed an aquiline nose and a golden stubble. Despite the wrinkles that creased the corners of his eyes and his forehead, it was still very apparent he was an attractive man.
"Hi, Jonah." He waved awkwardly and smiled at an unresponsive Jonah. "I was in a relationship with your mother in high school." His voice was shaky. "She got pregnant on our last year there."
"I was a mistake then," Jonah cut him off derisively abruptly getting on his feet. "Just a fucking mistake."
Charles looked uncertainly at his mother. Something did not seem right with him. Sarah eyed him warily. He looked scared which would be kind of normal with the current circumstance. But his fear looked almost childlike. Miss Fernandez sprung into action.
"Jonah, please stay calm, let's be civil." She stood up, putting a hand on his trembling shoulder. He sat back down.
And so did everyone else. He was still seething with anger in his seat.
Mrs Harper was on her feet too trying to calm Jonah down. "I heard all you went through, Jonah I understand you are angry." She went quiet again and looked up at her son.
"I know it's hard to believe but I wanted you... and your mother." the man added feebly
"When Phoebe, your mother told me," Mrs Douglas spoke for the first time since their introduction and quickly added. "And your granddad, we..."
"Shut the fuck up," Jonah was up again interrupting the other old lady in the room. "I don't fucking know you people." His loud voice showed the depth of his indignation.
Mrs Douglas looked unfazed by his outburst, her hazel eyes looked devoid of any fear... or emotion. She cleared her throat and put out her hand to her husband who was still seated.
"The letter, Richard." Her voice was confident almost cocky.
Sarah and the administrator exchanged glances as the timid old man gave his wife a letter.