“Maisie is family, but she is not my child.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I should have told you years ago.”
“Then tell me now.”
“I will. I promise. I just need until tomorrow evening.”
I stared at him in disbelief.
“You’ve had twelve years to trust me.”
He flinched.
“I know.”
The next morning, Colin left early for work. His note beside the coffee maker said he would explain everything when he returned.
I wanted to wait, but my mind would not stop racing.
That afternoon, Ruby asked to play with Maisie. After the girls ran next door, I followed and knocked on Theo’s door.
He welcomed me inside, though his smile faded when he saw my expression.
“Colin told me Maisie is family,” I said. “He still hasn’t explained how.”
Theo exhaled slowly.
“I told him he needed to tell you before we moved in.”
“So you deliberately came here?”
“Yes. After my wife passed away, I found Colin’s address among her papers. I accepted a position nearby, then searched for a house in this neighborhood. When the rental next door became available, I contacted him.”
“He knew before you arrived?”
“Only for two weeks. I told him that if he didn’t explain the truth himself, I wouldn’t lie when you asked me.”
My eyes moved to a framed photograph on the mantel.
Theo stood beside a blonde woman holding a newborn baby. The woman had Colin’s gray eyes, his dimples, and the same golden curls as both girls.
“That’s my wife, Natalie,” Theo said softly.
I stepped closer to the picture.
“She looks like Colin.”
“She should. She was his older sister.”
I turned sharply.
“Colin never told me he had a sister.”
“I suspected that.”
Theo invited me to sit, then began explaining.
Colin and Natalie had grown up in an extremely strict household. Their parents controlled nearly every part of their lives, including their friendships, education, and relationships.
Natalie rebelled. At 21, she left their church, abandoned the career her father had chosen for her, and moved in with Theo.
When they became engaged, her parents disowned her.
Colin was 19, financially dependent on them, and terrified of losing their approval. Natalie begged him to attend her wedding, but he refused.
“He sent a message saying he couldn’t come,” Theo said. “After that, they barely spoke.”
“But they stayed in contact?”
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