She never told us.
Not because she didn’t love us, but because she was afraid the truth would break our mother’s heart.
And when Tyler hurt her in March, Kayla didn’t call me.
She called her father.
The following week, Tyler’s lawyer filed a petition for custody.
The DNA results confirmed what everyone had suspected: Tyler was Lily’s biological father.
And in our state, that fact carried considerable legal weight.
Wade hired another attorney, this one from Louisville, with an expensive watch and a voice that sounded as though he’d spent his life practicing arguments in front of mirrors.
For the next three months, Lily stayed with Ray and June while the court considered the case.
Mom drove out there every day.
I visited every evening after work.
I learned how to warm a bottle without making it too hot. I learned how to burp a baby over my shoulder and how to recognize the different cries of a child who couldn’t tell me what she needed.
