She dreamed of Jasper stepping in to fight off some thugs for her, getting hurt in the process, wincing through the pain while still telling her not to cry.
She dreamed of the Fairmonts discovering their relationship and dragging him home, locking him away. Jasper jumping from the fourth floor, shattering his leg, forcing his parents to relent.
And then she dreamed of Grandma Nora. The tiny old woman took her hand and said, Sweetheart, all I want is for you to be happy.
A shrill ringtone dragged her back.
An IV drip was taped to the back of her hand. Jasper was gone. A note on the nightstand said something had come up at the office.
She might have believed it, if not for the photo that had just arrived from an unknown number on her phone. A photo of a kiss.
When she answered the call, the other end stayed silent for a long time. Just as her patience was about to snap, a man's hoarse voice broke through.
"Is this Hilda Summers?"
His voice trembled, the words tumbling over each other.
"Hilda, hello. I saw your file at the doctor's office. I'm sorry for the intrusion, but there's something I need to confirm."
"Would you be willing to come in and take a paternity test with me?"