Page 10 of Switch Back

“Oh, good. I knew you’d understand.” Cynthia smiles brightly again. “If you’re hungry, there is plenty of food in the kitchen. Help yourself to anything you want. If you’d like to order something,” she says, opening her clutch. She pulls out a credit card and hands it to me. “You can use this.”

I take the card from her and look down at it. My mouth drops open when I see my name printed on the front.

“Oh, I can’t accept this,” I say trying to hand it back to her.

“Nonsense.” Cynthia waves her hand at me. “We want you to be comfortable and have anything you want while you’re here.”

I look at Scott, but he’s glancing down at his watch. “We really should be going, sweetheart.”

For a moment, I think that he’s talking to me, but I quickly realize my mistake. I watch them gather their things and head for the door. The elevator dings as Scott presses the button to call for it.

Everything feels like it’s moving so quickly. I want to reach out to these two people that I came from and ask them to stay. I want them to want to be here with me. But the fantasy in my head of how this first true interaction with my biological parents would go, is nothing like the reality.

“Don’t wait up,” Cynthia says and waves as the door closes on them.

Once again, I find myself alone in this hollow foyer. I feel like I’m drifting, and I have the sudden urge to want to talk to Alex. I know that it’s crazy, but he’s the only person, since I landed in Seattle, that made me feel welcomed.

Even if I had his number, he’d probably think I was a weirdo for calling. I think about calling Liz, but I’m sure she is busy spending time with Hazel and the rest of my family—must be nice.

I pull out my phone and see that Chasen has sent me video. I hit play and the whoosh of the wind blowing against the microphone nearly drowns him out.

“Hey Rosie!” He smiles into the camera. “I’m sure you are already sipping on champagne, eating caviar in your bathtub full of diamonds, but I just wanted to send you this video to remind you of home.” The camera turns and pans around to show the scenic view of the farm from Chasen’s cabin on the edge of my family’s property. I can see my house off in the distance. Chasen’s face comes back into view. “Call me when you can. Bye!”

I pull up his number ready to call him but decide to hold off for a moment. I want to make sure no one can overhear my side of the conversation. So, I start walking down the hall that I saw Helen leave with my suitcase. I don’t have to look too hard to find the room. The door is open, and I can see my suitcase sitting on the bench at the end of the bed.

Hazel’s room is bright and feminine, but not what I would have imagined. I figured it would be gold or pink, but the color scheme of the room has more Earth tones—mostly soft greens and pale yellows. There are framed watercolor paintings of plant life on the walls above the bed filled with throw pillows. It feels more country than city and I wonder for a moment if Hazel was channeling her real home when she decorated this room.

I sit down on the bed and call Chasen.

“What am I doing here?” I ask by way of greeting when Chasen picks up his phone on the second ring.

“And hello to you too.” He chuckles. “Did you get my video?”

“Yes, and I wish I was home with you and my family. What am I doing here?” I ask again as I slump back onto the mound of pillows. “I don’t belong here. I’m pretty sure they all hate me.”

“They don’t hate you. They just don’t know you. You’ve got to remember, this is hard for them too. There is no guide for them to follow called, How to Connect with Your Biological Daughter Who Was Switched at Birth.”

I can’t help the chuckle that comes out of me. My eyes wander around the room until they stop on a framed photo of Hazel that looks like it’s from her modeling days. She’s in a black tank top and jeans. Her arms are up and she’s looking over her shoulder at the camera. She’s a natural and it’s clear that the camera loves her.

“I just feel like I’ve stolen Hazel from them and Hazel from her life. Maybe it was selfish of me to suggest we switch.”

The sound of Chasen’s truck engine starts on the other end of the line. I wonder if he’s going to my house for dinner with my family—and Hazel. I bet she was welcomed with open arms and wasn’t left to fend for herself.

“I don’t fit in here at all.”

“Well that’s not true, genetically you do. Rosie you need to stop thinking about the ways you are different and start focusing on things that make you the same.”

“When did you get all wise?” I ask.

“You give me too much credit,” he laughs. “I’m pretty sure I got that advice from a fortune cookie.”

I’m so glad Chasen knows just what say to help me calm down.

“Can we talk later? I just pulled up to your folks’ place.”

“Yeah, talk to later.”

We hang up and once again I feel alone.

It’s only a week.

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