No Second Chances Ex-husband (Lauren and Ethan) novel Chapter 129

LAUREN’S POV

We walked into the small office that the nurse had led us into. A middle–aged man sat behind a neat desk, pens, and a half- empty cup of coffee that had probably gone cold hours ago. He looked up the moment we entered, his expression polite but distracted as his eyes darted from the paperwork in front of him to us.

“Dr. James, they’re here to see you,” the nurse said, her tone brisk but professional.

He gave her a quick nod before his gaze lingered on me and then dropped to Aria, who clung gently to my hand. His expression softened a little. Then he reached for the document the nurse handed him. “They’re here for a DNA ancestry test,” she added.

I quickly corrected, “Just my daughter, I’m not included.” I smiled faintly as I took a seat opposite his desk, adjusting my bag on my lap.

Dr. James scanned the paper silently, his brows furrowing slightly in concentration. The sound of the wall clock ticking filled the quiet room. After a moment, he gave a small nod to the nurse, and she excused herself, closing the door behind her as she left.

He finally looked up, offering me a polite smile. “I’m Dr. James. It’s nice to meet you,” he said, standing to his feet and straightening his white coat before turning toward a nearby drawer.

His movements were calm and practiced, almost mechanical, like a man who had done this a thousand times. He rummaged in the drawer for a few seconds before walking back toward us with something in his hand.

“And what’s your name, little princess?” he asked warmly as he approached Aria.

Aria hesitated for a second before she replied softly, “Aria.”

“Aria,” he repeated with a friendly smile, crouching slightly so he could meet her eye level. “Well, Aria, I have a little gift for you today.”

Gift? My eyebrows lifted in curiosity. I watched as he reached into the pocket of his white lab coat and pulled out… a stick of candy. Of course. A sweet. Why was I not surprised?

Is that what he went to get from the drawer?

I sighed inwardly. Why did everyone Aria met seem to think candy was the best way to make her smile? First it was Tessa, then Roman, and now even a doctor. How did they all know that sweets were the one thing my daughter could never resist? And the very thing I’d been trying unsuccessfully to limit.

Still, Aria’s eyes brightened, and she accepted the sweet with a nod and a thank you. Her happiness made it hard to stay annoyed.

“Alright, Mrs. Darrow,” Dr. James said, turning his attention back to me. “We’re going to start the test right away if you don’t

mind.”

“Sure,” I replied, my voice even though a hint of uncertainty lingered inside me.

He walked over to the door, gently closing it until it clicked shut, then slipped on a pair of disposable gloves. I watched as he prepared the small set of tools he needed, a glass slide, a few cotton swabs, and a small sealed container.

Wait… was he planning to do this right here in his office? In front of me?

I frowned slightly, shifting in my seat. I hadn’t done this before, so I wasn’t exactly sure how it worked, but I had imagined something a little more… official. A lab room, maybe some machines, or at least a white sterile space. But this, this felt too casual.

“Is it okay if I stay?” I asked, my tone hesitant.

“Of course,” he said with a reassuring smile. “It will only take a few minutes, and then we’ll be done.”

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CHAPTER 0120

+25 BONUS

He picked up the small circular glass plate and approached Aria again. “Alright, Aria, I’m going to need your help with something,” he said gently. “You’re going to spit on this glass, okay? Just a little, right here.” He held the glass closer to her

chin

Aria’s eyes flickered toward me, silently asking for permission. I gave her a small nod and an encouraging smile.

She leaned forward, pursed her lips, and spat a small amount of saliva onto the glass plate.

“Perfect,” Dr. James said, his voice calm and patient. “That’s all I need.” He stood upright again, carefully sealing the sample,

That was it? I blinked. I’d expected something more, maybe a swab, a blood test, something more complicated. “Are you….. done?” I asked, unable to hide my surprise as he returned to his desk.

“Yes,” he said easily. “We just need a small sample of her saliva. It’s enough for the ancestry testing.”

“Oh.” I said, relaxing slightly. “So when should I expect the results?”

“Well,” he said, taking off his gloves and tossing them into the bin. “I’ll send this to the lab today for processing. Once they’ve completed the initial DNA analysis, I’ll add a few details from our side to finalize the report. You should get the results in about forty–eight hours or so.”

“Forty–eight hours?” I echoed, eyebrows raised. That was… fast. Much faster than I expected. “Wow, I thought it would take at least a week.”

He smiled. “That used to be the case, but technology’s moving quickly now. Everything’s more efficient these days.”

I gave a small nod, impressed despite myself. “Alright, so we can take our leave then?”

He reached for a small clipboard, attached a form to it, and handed it over to me. “Just fill this out before you go, and we’ll send you an email once the results are out.”

I took the form and pen from him, carefully filling in the necessary details name, address, phone number, and email. My handwriting wavered slightly, probably because my mind was already wandering. Once I was done, I handed it back, thanked him, and stood.

The entire thing, from the moment we entered the hospital to the moment we left, took less than an hour. Quicker than I’d imagined.

As we stepped outside, I let out a small sigh of relief. The sunlight hit my face, warm and welcoming after the cold sterility of the hospital. “Well, that was easier than I thought,” I muttered to myself, looking down at Aria, who was still holding her sweet

We got back into the car and drove home. Aria hummed softly to herself in the back seat, her voice sweet and low.

When we reached the house, the moment I opened the door, a delicious smell wafted out from the kitchen. My nose instantly picked up the scent of something cooking spices, sautéed onions, something warm and homey. My brows furrowed in surprise.

“Did she… cook?” I asked, turning to Aria, who simply shrugged and kicked off her shoes.

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