Daughters of Darwin

"WHAT?!"

Though Mark had been tired and exhausted, Mona's revelation immediately made him feel wide awake, and he pushed himself up on the swing and stared at her face in disbelief.

Mona just smiled and nodded.

"But- Tanya- How?" Mark tried to make sense of what he had just heard. "That's impossible! Tanya can't be your mother! She's much too young to-" He stopped in mid-sentence. "Or did she adopt you?"

With a slight chuckle, Mona shook her head. "No, she's my real mom," she said, "biologically and everything. But don't worry. She's not going to be jealous when she finds out you took my virginity. She's pretty cool with-"

"That's not what I'm worried about," Mark interrupted her. "Even if Tanya had you when she was still in her very early teens, that would make you no older than... thirteen or fourteen, at the most!"

Mona was quite visibly amused. "Do I look fourteen to you?"

"You don't look like it, but-"

"Or do I act like I'm fourteen?"

"No, but-" Mark's face showed his confusion clearly. "How old are you, anyway?"

Mona smiled one of her wicked smiles. "Technically, you don't get to ask questions, but I'm feeling generous right now, so..." She put her hands on her cute little breasts, squeezing them softly to show off her still-stiff cocoa-colored nipples. "These are the tits of a nineteen-year-old." She slid her hands downwards. "And this is the belly of a nineteen-year-old. And right there" -- she pointed at her underbelly -- "is your cock, inside the very satisfied pussy of a nineteen-year-old."

"Okay, I get it already," Mark replied, slightly annoyed about Mona's provocative banter. He took the opportunity to get off the swing, pulling his now limp member out of her, which still inspired a moan of pleasure in Mona. Shaking his head, he closed his bathrobe, tied his belt and then sat down again next to her.

Mona shifted her position and made herself comfortable lying back on his lap, her body still fully exposed, smiling and gently running her hand over his chin. "Don't be mad," she said. "It's just that I really shouldn't be telling you anything. Please, don't mention any of what I said to the others, okay?"

Mark smiled and put his left hand on Mona's head and the other on her left breast. Gently running his fingers both over her soft hair and around her stiff nipple, he felt the young woman relax under his touch as she sighed and closed her eyes. "Don't worry," he said. "You trusted me, and I won't betray your trust. It's good getting told at least something."

"Mmh."

"You could do me one favor, though."

Mona opened one eye and looked at him. "Mmh?"

"Once you've had your baby," he asked, "may I see her?"

"Is that so important to you?" Mona opened her second eye.

Mark nodded. "It is. I really want to know what my kid looks like."

Mona closed both of her eyes again and chuckled lightly.

"What's so funny about that?"

"Nothing," Mona smiled. "It's just that your wish's going to come true much sooner than you think."

***

That afternoon, Tanya arrived, and she had her baby daughter with her.

Mark was absolutely ecstatic. He had been hoping to get a chance at being a father, and despite Stephanie setting him straight about how the women in her family thought about that, Tanya had apparently decided differently. She was smiling at him as she entered the parlor, where he had waited for her in Stephanie's company.

"Hey there," she smiled, holding her infant girl close to her shoulder. "Good to see you again. Mona already told me you were here. So you really wanted to see me that badly?"

Mark opened his mouth to answer, but Stephanie interrupted him. "Did Mona also tell you she didn't waste any time and already got him to take her virginity?"

Tanya's eyes widened in surprise, and Mark shot Stephanie an angry glance. "This wasn't quite the way I wanted to open this conversation."

"I know," Stephanie coolly replied, "but after the both of you woke me up this morning, this is what you deserve."

"Yeah," Tanya said, "Mona's definitely getting an earful from me for that. I mean, I probably have to blame myself for, uh, recommending Mark to her, but she at least could have said something!"

Mark tried to figure out what was going on in Tanya's mind, but fortunately, she seemed to be more annoyed than angry, and definitely more at Mona than at him. "To answer your earlier question," he turned towards her, "yeah, I did want to see you again that badly. You and m- your daughter." He took a step forward. "May I?"

Tanya gave him a warm smile. "Of course you may," she said and walked over to him. "Mark, meet Marcia."

"You named her-"

"Yup." Tanya turned slightly to the side to give him a good look at the baby in her arms. "So, this is her. Isn't she pretty?"

Mark looked at the tiny little thing resting her head on Tanya's shoulder. She seemed to be sleeping, or at least snoozing, her eyes closed, her expression calm. A few strands of raven-black hair stuck out underneath the little pink cap she was wearing, and Mark couldn't help noticing her complexion was of a slightly darker tone than Tanya's. Yeah, this was definitely his little girl. "She's gorgeous," he said.

"Ugh," Stephanie sighed. "I guess two of you will now start yapping about her cute little fingers and her cute little ears and her cute little nose. I'm outta here. If you need me, I'll be in the kitchen." She turned around and walked out of the room, still grumbling to herself.

"Don't mind her," Tanya chuckled. "She's always like this when she's pregnant. Trust me, once she gives birth again, she'll change her tune about little Marcia here."

"Good," Mark grinned. "If there's something she doesn't need, it's a grumpy old aunt." He turned his attention towards the baby girl. "May I hold her for a bit?"

Tanya nodded. "Be careful when you take her, though. Keep one hand behind her head at all times. And try not to wake her up." She leaned over to help Mark take Marcia from her.

Mark gently picked her up and cradled her in his arms. She was heavier than he had expected, though he wasn't exactly an expert on infants. He had a hard time imagining how it felt to have something as big as that come out from inside you, and he found it more than impressive what women were willing to go through in giving birth. And looking at Tanya, she already seemed to be back at her original figure already. She was wearing a light, airy summer dress that wouldn't have done much to hide any additional pounds she might had picked up during the pregnancy.

Gently swaying Marcia in his arms, he looked down on his baby girl again. "This is so cool," he said. "I'm a daddy now."

"You are," Tanya grinned, "and you look like a very proud daddy too. May I have her back?"

"Of course."

Mark gently returned Marcia into her mother's arms. The little creature gave off a little whimper but didn't wake up. "She's really tired," Tanya said. "She didn't sleep much during our drive here. I think I'm going to put her in bed now."

"Sure," Mark said. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"You could help with the luggage," a resolute voice from the door said, and when Mark looked up, someone new was standing in the parlor, a woman somewhere in her forties with straight dark-brown hair, pulling a large blue suitcase on wheels behind her. Her facial features, the peculiar tone of her skin and especially her makeup that accentuated her eyes gave her a distinct Arabic look.

"Oh," said Tanya, "I almost forgot. This is Naira. She's drove us here -- she's the doctor who helped me with Marcia, and she'll be here in the next few days to give everybody check-ups. Would you mind getting our stuff from her car?"

With both women looking at him, one with pleading and one with demanding eyes, Mark could hardly say no.

***

Fifteen minutes later, Mark was back in the parlor again, pretty exhausted after lifting not only four large suitcases but also an assortment of heavy electronic medical devices up the stairs and into one of the many the bedrooms of the safehouse. Naira's SUV had been crammed with "stuff", as Tanya had called it, and now Mark was more than happy to fall into one of the comfortable armchairs again, between Tanya and Naira. Marcia was sleeping in a baby carrier on the ground.

"Phew," he sighed. "I feel like I've just moved an entire doctor's practice upstairs."

"That's not far from the truth," Naira nodded. "There isn't much in my practice I don't have here too. Well -- not the examination tables and chairs, of course."

Mark smiled wryly. "Lucky me."

Tanya chuckled. "You're a strong guy, it's us who should feel lucky to have you around. Usually, we have to carry those machines ourselves, and it takes us twice as long."

"I see." Mark turned to Naira, taking a closer look at her. She was around five foot seven, maybe five foot eight, wearing a colorful blouse over loose-fitting white cotton pants and matching white sandals. "So you're making, uh, house calls from time to time?"

"About once a month," she replied. "I've heard that recently, you're giving me quite a bit to do."

Slightly flustered, Mark squirmed in his chair. "Yeah, I suppose that's right."

"Don't worry about it," Naira smiled. "I've already examined Marcia, and she's a healthy, strong little girl. Your genes will be beneficial to our bloodline. Plus, not many men would be comfortable leaving their offspring entirely in our care. So by all means, please give me more work to do."

"Yeah, about that..." Mark look towards Tanya. "Actually, there was something I wanted to discuss with you."

Tanya, who had gazed at Marcia for a moment, looked up. "Uh, what?"

Mark tried to choose his words carefully. "Stephanie told me that your daughter is yours and yours alone," he said, "that I don't have anything to say about her. And I respect that. However..."

"However?" Tanya's gaze shifted a little, showing signs of caution.

"I would really like to be a part of Marcia's life," Mark explained. "I would love to help you raise her, be there for her. I want to show that little girl that she has someone else to rely on aside from her mother. Do you think that's in any way possible?"

To Mark's surprise, it was Naira who answered that question. "Absolutely not. You can't help Tanya raise her little girl. That's not how we do it."

Mark turned towards her. "I thought that would be left for Tanya's to decide," he said. "Stephanie said Tanya could choose to allow me in, if she wanted to."

"Look..." Tanya softly put a hand on his arm and looked at him. "I know this is what you want and I think it's really sweet that you do -- but Naira is right. We talked about this a lot. It's not a good idea."

"Why not?" Mark put his free hand on Tanya's. "I suppose there may have been problems in the past, with other fathers causing trouble for you and your family. But what is it you really want? Don't you want me around?"

Tanya sighed. "I do, but-"

"Then don't let anybody convince you otherwise. Why take their advice over what your heart tells you?"

"Because they have the experience to give good advice," Tanya said with a hint of sadness in her voice, "especially Naira. See, she's first generation. Directly born by the woman who started our entire bloodline."

Surprised, Mark looked over to Naira, and suddenly something clicked in his head. Yeah, this made sense, especially regarding her looks. "I think I understand," he said.

Tanya smiled and slightly tightened her grip on his hand. "That's good," she replied. "It's really not that I don't trust you. I do. It's just that it's much safer this way. Also..." She giggled a little. "It's better if you're not around me all the time. Fewer chances for you to get jealous."

"Jealous?" Mark raised an eyebrow.

"It's not that I'll stop having children now that I have Marcia," Tanya said. "Marcia's not my first daughter, you know, and she won't be my last. And since the two us won't be having any more kids together, it's really for the best if-"

That moment, a soft whimper came from the baby carrier on the ground, and everybody looked down. Marcia had opened her eyes -- large, curious brown eyes -- and was gazing around. She gave off a little gurgle.

Tanya immediately went and picked her up from the carrier. "Looks like Marcia's back among the living," she smiled. "Hey Marcia. Have you slept well, hmm?"

"She'll probably be hungry," Naira said. "She didn't want anything during the ride here, remember?"

"Yeah," Tanya said and looked to Mark. "Sorry about that. Can we talk later?"

Mark nodded. "Sure we can, or I can just come with you and-"

Naira immediately put her hand on his arm. "I'd like to have a few more words with you first, if you don't mind," she said.

"Uh, yeah, that's fine, I guess." Mark looked towards Tanya. "Is that okay with you too?"

"Go ahead," Tanya replied, already on her way out of the parlor and focused on Marcia.

Shrugging, Mark turned back towards Naira. The older woman's face was calm and gentle, though the strength with which she held his arm belied her outward appearance. "I know," she said. "You only want the best for both Tanya and her daughter. All fathers say that, and some are even sincere about it. You, I think, are one of them."

Mark nodded. "I am. I want Marcia to grow up happy and safe, and if there's anything I can do to help her with that-"

"My own father was very much like you," Naira interrupted him. "Like you, he was a witness to the miracle that is the existence of women like us, and like you, he was excited to be a part of it all. He did his best to raise me well, and when I was old enough, he got me the best education money could buy." She made a short pause here before continuing. "And still, it would have been better for all of us if he hadn't been involved."

"Even if your father was very much like me," Mark pointed out, "he isn't me. Whatever happened because of him, it won't happen with him. Frankly, I'm a little disappointed you talked Tanya into cutting me out."

Naira raised an eyebrow. "Whatever you think happened here, you're mistaken," she said. "I didn't have to talk Tanya out of anything. She has never allowed any man to even come near one of her children, let alone raise them, and the fact she was willing to even let you see the daughter she created with your seed is already an immense sign of trust."

At these words, Mark became more than a little angry. "Tanya said she and you talked about this 'a lot'," he insisted, "and when I asked HER earlier about being a part of Marcia's life, YOU answered. So don't say you had nothing to do with 'her decision'!"

"There's no reason to be upset," Naira replied, still retaining her calm and composed demeanor. "It is what it is. We really can't afford to have fathers running around our daughters. There'll always be trouble."

"You can't know that!" Mark threw up his hands in frustration. "Look, I get it. Your own father, despite his best intentions, caused you trouble. But I'm different. I'm not a Kuwaiti billionaire, and I am not so full of myself as to think I-"

"What?" Naira interrupted him. "You- How- What do you mean by 'Kuwaiti billionaire'?"

Mark took a deep breath. "A few weeks ago, I made some research into your family," he explained. "Holly eventually told me to stop, and I did, but I had already found the name Patricia Harland, and with it the name of her husband, Hassim Al-Foraih. And when Tanya just mentioned that you were a daughter of the woman who 'started your bloodline', I saw that you looked like someone whose father could have had that name -- and I put two and two together. Patricia Harland wasn't just the person who bought this estate. She was your mother, am I right?"

Naira's face darkened. "You should never have found that out," she said. "That's not good. That's really not good."

"Look," Mark said, "I get it. Secrecy is your shield. People wouldn't understand what you are, and they could try and hunt you down. It must have been really difficult for your mother and you to find a safe place, and everybody who knows of it could be a danger to you. But I promise you, I won't ever do anything to compromise you. I want to be a part of your family, no matter what it takes."

"Words," Naira spat out, "nothing but words. If you knew 'what it takes' to be a member of our family, you'd be out of here in seconds."

Mark took a deep breath. "Then tell me," he said. "What do I have to do for you to believe I'm serious?"

Looking straight at him, Naira's face slowly relaxed. "One, quit your job," she replied. "Two, withdraw all your money and close your accounts. Three, tell everybody who knows you you're going soul-searching in Tibet or something, and that you don't know when you'll be back. And four, you move to the safehouse, permanently, and don't ever leave again."

"Um-" Mark swallowed. "You mean, I quit my old life-"

"That's exactly what you need to do," Naira nodded.

"And then I can be with Tanya?"

Naira shook her head. "No, then I'll believe you're serious. And maybe Tanya will then reconsider. But that's not up to me. That's her decision, as you already know."

Mark sighed and sunk into his armchair. "Great. So I need to give up everything else just for a chance to be with Tanya? You're really asking too much!"

"And I haven't even told you that even if Tanya decides to allow you into her and Marcia's lives, you're still not going to have any further children with her," Naira added. "You should take that into consideration."

"You're right," Mark remembered, "Stephanie mentioned that. No second child. Though she didn't say why. And that won't even change if I become a full member of your family and don't ever leave the safehouse again?"

Shaking her head, Naira smiled a little. "I'm afraid that this has nothing to do with you potentially revealing information about us," she said. "It has to do with our biology."

Mark rolled his eyes. "Which means you're not going to tell me what exactly the problem is."

"Hm..." Naira's smile suddenly brightened. "Actually, why not?"

"You mean..."

Naira comfortably reclined in her armchair. "As a matter of fact, I don't think it would hurt us much if I tell you. It's not going to become relevant anyway as long as everybody sticks to the rules and never has more than one daughter from a single man."

With renewed interest, Mark straightened up. "So what happens when I give Tanya another daughter?"

"Your two daughters will be identical twins," Naira smiled, "just of different age."

"W-What?"

Naira chuckled at Mark's confusion. "It's weird biology, "she said, "but it's not complicated to understand. When we receive a man's seed, our bodies don't just combine one sperm cell and one egg. Instead, they break down the sperm cell and extract the genetic code of the man they're from, and they create life based on that exact genetic code. The child that is eventually born shares parts of both her mother's and her father's DNA, but they're always the same parts. And that's why if one of us has more than one child with the same men, the children will be identical twins, even though they may be born years apart."

Struggling to understand what he had just heard, Mark tried to make sense of it. "So you're saying if I had another kid with Tanya, like, three years from now," he slowly said, "the kid would be Marcia's identical twin sister."

"Exactly."

"Just three years younger than her."

With a nod, Naira crossed her arms. "You got it. And you probably now understand why this is a recipe for trouble. People might still believe they're just sisters. But if anyone ever compares their DNAs, they'll find out something that should be impossible. That's why we try not to make this happen anymore."

Mark nodded, then suddenly stopped. "Wait," he said. "Not anymore?"