Page 46 of The Stolen Child

Her mum’s hand touched the face in the image tenderly, then she answered in a voice little more than a whisper, ‘It’s him, Jason. I’m sure it is. I’d recognise those eyes anywhere.’ Tears glistened, and her hand began to shake. ‘I’ve longed to hold him and hug him close, to see the man he must have grown into. And now . . . Jason, I can’t bear it.’

And, as was their way, her parents forgot their differences as they clung to each other for support. The room became still and they sobbed quietly in each other’s arms.

Lily picked up a box of tissues and handed them to her parents, a lump lodged in her throat as she tried to control her own emotions.

‘Call him now. Ask him to join us here,’ her dad begged, wiping tears from his cheeks. His eyes glistened in excitement. ‘You’d like that, wouldn’t you, love?’ he asked his ex-wife.

Her mother’s face paled, and she didn’t answer. Lily had been afraid of this. Her father was moving things along faster than they should.

‘Dad, slow down. We’ve had hundreds of false leads over the years, and each time they have led us to disappointment. I know this must feel so frustrating, but we have to wait for the DNA test.’

Her mother whispered something to her father, and whatever it was made him pause. He sat back in the seat, and they leaned into each other again.

‘It will be the longest week of our lives, waiting for results,’ Gaga said, leaning into the cushions on his armchair. His face was drawn, and Lily could see the strain that this was placing on him. Another stab of guilt hit her as she worried that she’d burdened him with this.

‘I’d like to see the family that took him. Do you have any photographs of them?’ her mum asked.

‘Yes, we do,’ Michael said, handing her the photograph taken beside the fire pit of Zach and his parents.

Her mum’s hand shook as she reached out to accept it. She closed her eyes for a second or two before looking down at the image. A sob escaped her, and further tears fell.

‘They look happy,’ her mum finally said.

‘Is he tall? I can’t tell from the photographs. He was small for his age as a toddler,’ her dad asked.

‘I’d say about five foot ten. He’s a little shorter than me,’ Michael answered.

‘He looks so handsome,’ her mum said, almost wistfully.

‘He is,’ Lily agreed. ‘And clever too, by all accounts. He’s done well in his career. He’s travelled the world. He’s close to his three sisters.’

Lily felt a new lump lodge itself in her throat too. Because maybe Zach had four sisters, not three. And, if so, would she ever have the same relationship with him that he had with the girls he’d grown up with?

‘He’s had a good life, Mum. He was loved by his mother and stepfather.’

‘That’s not his mother!’ her dad exploded at her words. ‘Do not call her that. It’s an insult to your mum. This woman, whoever she is, needs to be arrested!’

Her mum trembled beside her dad as his voice rose in anger.

‘Hear, hear!’ Gaga agreed.

Lily looked over to her grandfather, beseeching him silently for support. She needed her father to remain calm.

Gaga nodded in understanding and cleared his throat before he added, ‘Son, your reaction is a hundred per cent normal. I feel the same. But we need to listen to Lily. There’s a process to undergo. Let’s confirm that Robert is who he says he is. And then we’ll have all the time in the world to meet him. And, mark my words, I’ll help you get the justice we all deserve for the pain we’ve endured at the hands of his abductor. I won’t rest till they are behind bars. But, first, we have to prove that, beyond any doubt, he is our boy.’

Her dad stood up, mollified by his father’s words.

Lily watched her parents, her brow furrowed with worry. They’d all waited such a long time to find out the truth. She shivered with the realisation that in a few more days they might finally find out what had happened to Robert.

NOW

August 2023

Lily

DNA Clinic, The Docklands, Dublin

Lily stood outside a tall office block on the quays in Dublin City. The afternoon sun flooded the cement pathway, reflecting on the chrome door of the DNA testing centre. Though they could have ordered an online test, but both had decided that going in person to a clinic felt safer and gave them more control.