Daniel wasn’t angry.
He looked frightened.
And somehow, Evan appeared to understand why.
The boy had hardly spoken.
He was studying Daniel with an expression I couldn’t read.
Maya turned toward him.
“Evan?”
He let out a slow breath.
“Okay. I guess we should deal with this.”
He reached into his pocket.
Daniel immediately said,
“Please don’t.”
The room became completely still.
Evan pulled out his phone anyway.
He tapped the screen, walked toward the table, and placed it in front of Daniel.
My husband looked down.
His expression changed instantly.
“Put that away.”
Evan stayed where he was.
I stepped closer.
“What is going on?”
Nobody answered.
Daniel turned the phone facedown.
I stared at him.
“Daniel.”
“Sarah, this is complicated.”
That only made me more curious.
I reached toward the phone.
Daniel hesitated, then moved his hand away.
I turned it over.
On the screen was a photograph of an old printed picture.
The colors had faded.
Daniel was standing outside what looked like an apartment building.
He couldn’t have been older than twenty-five.
A blond woman stood beside him.
She was smiling.
And she was clearly expecting a baby.
Daniel had one arm around her shoulders.
I stared at the picture.
Then at my husband.
Then at Evan.
There was something strangely familiar about the teenager’s features.
My stomach tightened.
“Who is she?”
Daniel swallowed.
“Her name was Claire.”
Evan spoke quietly.
“She was my mother.”
I looked from him to Daniel.
A question immediately entered my mind.
“Daniel… is Evan your son?”
Daniel looked genuinely shocked.
“What? No.”
His answer should have reassured me.
Instead, it created an even bigger mystery.
If Evan wasn’t Daniel’s son, why had my husband reacted so strongly the moment he saw him?
“Then explain the picture.”
Daniel rubbed his forehead.
“Claire and I were friends.”
Evan nodded.
“My mom never said they were together.”
I looked at him.
“Then why did you bring this?”
CONTINUE READING…>>
