“No.”
Rebecca shook her head.
“I mean if something else happened.”
The hallway seemed suddenly colder.
“What else?”
Daniel glanced down the corridor.
“We shouldn’t do this out here.”
“Then leave.”
“Please,” Rebecca whispered. “There isn’t much time.”
I don’t know why I opened the door.
Maybe anger is stronger than fear.
Maybe curiosity is.
Or maybe some part of me had already realized that the life I thought I understood had ended the moment I opened that envelope.
I slid the security latch free.
Daniel stepped backward immediately when I opened the door, giving me space.
Rebecca remained still.
The moment she saw me, she began crying harder.
“Oh, Margaret.”
“Don’t.”
She stopped.
I held up the photograph.
“Explain this.”
Daniel looked at his mother.
Rebecca closed her eyes.
“Michael gave me that photograph.”
“Why?”
“Because he said if anyone ever tried to convince you that your family wasn’t real, I should show you something that proved it was.”
