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That was that. The moment Palmer shut everyone out of her life. She’d live her life on her own terms and depend on no one. She didn’t need a family, a boyfriend, or any friends. After graduation, she started her life, away from the orphanage, and not once had she gone back to visit.
Palmer pulled the screen down on Kent’s phone to refresh his email and waited for the circle to disappear. A new message appeared, and Palmer’s heart rate jumped. “She wrote back,” she told Kent.
“Read it.”
“Can she see that I’ve read it right away?”
Kent laughed. “No. At least I don’t think so?”
“Maybe I should wait?”
“Why? Who cares if you read it right away. I think you’ve earned the right to be eager.”
Kent was right. She tapped the screen, turned the phone, and read the large print. “She says she can’t wait to meet me and gave us an address to meet her at.”
“Does she say what time?”
“Yes, three in the afternoon. What do I say?”
“Tell her you’ll be there.”
Palmer voice texted her response and sent the email. She then sat back and smiled. Everything was right in her world—at least for now. Palmer wasn’t going to think for even a single second her world couldn’t shift on a dime. For now, she wanted to believe where she headed was the right path for her. She’d leave this realm knowing she had a sister.
With those thoughts, she also berated herself. Had she opened that damned letter months ago, she might have been able to have a real relationship with her family. She trusted no one, except for Kent, not even the company that had performed the DNA test or herself to do the test correctly. Palmer convinced herself she hadn’t added enough saliva or enough time hadn’t passed between drinking and taking the test. Moreover, she’d told herself no one in her family even cared about her because no one ever came looking.
“I wonder how Courtney ended up in Missouri?”
Kent gave her question some thought before answering. “Maybe her husband is from there or that’s where she went to school.”
“I should’ve asked her age. Wouldn’t it be weird if we went to the same school together?”
“Yeah.” Kent frowned. “I would hope your mother would’ve recognized you.”
Palmer shrugged. “One thing I want to ask Courtney is where our mom is and how old she is. Maybe we can go see her?”
“Absolutely, if that’s what you want,” he told her. “We’ll spend the rest of our time in Missouri, if that’s what you decide. You’re the boss here. You call all the shots, Palmer.”
She nodded and rested her head against the window. “I definitely want to meet my mom, and maybe my dad if she knows where he is. I wonder if I have more siblings, or any aunts and uncles.”
Kent allowed her to talk without interrupting. Palmer went on about nieces and nephews, cousins, and any other family members she could think of. They both laughed when she mentioned grandparents and figured if they were alive, they’d be in their eighties or nineties.
“My parents want to FaceTime later and meet you,” he told her, catching her off guard. “I know I haven’t talked about them while we’ve been on this trip, but they know about you. They know everything, really. My parents are super supportive of what we’re doing, and my dad is jealous. He’s always wanted to tour the US.”
Palmer sat up and turned to face him. She moved her seat belt strap under her arm for more comfort. “I’m sorry, I never thought to ask about your family. I guess I assumed you were like me, in a way. Do you have any siblings?”
“Only child. My parents met in college and married right after graduation. My dad is an engineer, and my mom’s a high school principal. They live north of the city.”
“Do they know about Maeve?” Palmer asked, and Kent nodded.
“I tell them everything. My dad is my best friend. He also served in the army, as did my grandfather and uncles.”
“How come you haven’t talked about them?”
Kent pondered her question. “Our lives growing up were so opposite. I didn’t want to sound like I was bragging or trying to rub it in your face. I grew up with a great family who supports me in everything I do, and it breaks my heart that you didn’t.”
“You shouldn’t have to hide your family because I didn’t have one,” she told him. “That seems wholly unfair, and you’re not being true to yourself or to me.”
Kent glanced at her quickly and tried to smile. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t my intent at all.”
“I know,” she said quietly. “Can I ask you a question? It’s not something I’ve ever asked anyone before.”
“Palmer, you can ask me anything you want.”
“What are the holidays like?”
