Jessica held down the button on the right side of the iPhone and powered it off. She didn’t want Connor texting or calling. Tonight, she would break the news about who she really was to her own flesh and blood in person, and she wasn’t going to allow a lying asshole to ruin the moment.

Goose bumps popped up along her arms. If she was right about her biological father, the implications were massive. There was going to be a lot to talk about. There would almost certainly be DNA tests. Big decisions would have to be made.

Jessica started the truck, pulled away from the curb, and made her way back onto Colorado. Black angry clouds were gathering overhead, blocking out the blue sky. Rain was on its way. Just as the thought manifested itself in her mind, she heard a crash of thunder, followed by a double fork of lightning splitting the somber sky. Fat drops of rain plopped onto the windshield, and Jessica flipped the switch for the wipers.

By the time she turned onto Eagle Rock Boulevard, the wipers were on the fastest speed, the raindrops now a downpour. Jessica leaned forward, trying to improve her visibility. The red taillights of the cars in front were blurry dots. She switched on the headlights. The wiper blades, which hadn’t been used for months, groaned and squeaked and struggled to do their job against the torrent. All around her, sidewalks emptied as folks ducked into stores and bars for cover.

Once on York, Jessica continued on past the Blue Moon Inn until she saw hazy neon through the rain in the distance. Red and blue beer signs behind grilles pulled across windows. Despite the weather, the store’s double doors were propped open. The red hand-painted sign above them read RALPH’S COUNTRY STORE.

Jessica parked and ran inside, her hair and clothes drenched despite the short distance between the truck and the convenience store. She headed straight for the booze refrigerators and considered the selection of beers and wine before making her way to the counter where the good stuff was kept.

A college kid looked up from his smartphone as she approached. “Crazy weather, huh?” He noticed she was empty handed. “Getcha anything?”

“A bottle of your best Scotch, please.”

“We only have one kind, so I guess that would have to be the best.”

He reached behind him to a top shelf and carefully lifted down a bottle of Johnnie Walker. Not Jessica’s favorite brand, but it would do the job.

“Anything else?” he asked, slipping the whiskey into a brown paper bag.

“That’s all, thanks.” Jessica swiped her card across the pay machine.

The kid handed over the bag. “Special occasion?”

Jessica smiled. “I hope so.”