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We waited until just before it got dark, and Callie was squirming and said she had to pee.
“Okay,” I say as I snap my seat belt on and get ready to start the truck, disappointed we came all this way and didn’t see her.
“Wait.” She puts her hand on my arm, and her eyes go wide. The front door to the house is open, and a dark-haired, petite woman steps out with a teenage girl. Both of us freeze and take in what we see.
“No way, that’s really them,” she whispers.
“SJ, look at me,” she demands, snapping me out of my thoughts. “Do you want to know why she left? Tell me now. We can do this if you want.” She looks over at the house and then back at me.
I swallow nervously and nod. “Yeah.” We’ve come all this way. I need to know.
“Okay, let’s go.” She’s unbuckling, and I’m frozen, staring at my hands still on the wheel. “Come on,” she coaxes. “I’m going with you.”
She hurries across the street and up the driveway as the woman has her hand in her purse searching for her keys. “Um, Mom,” the girl says, tapping her mom’s shoulder.
“Kit, where are my keys?” she mumbles and looks up. She sees Callie first and recoils like she’s seen a ghost. Then her eyes snap to me, and her eyes soften as she freezes. Her hand goes to her mouth.
“Samuel,” she breathes. “Are you Samuel?” she says, getting emotional, her voice catching.
I nod, my hands in my pockets, not moving. I look over, and Callie isn’t moving either. Her jaw has dropped, and that’s when I notice Kit. She’s the spitting image of Callie. It’s like looking back in time to the seventh grade when I met Callie. What. The. Hell. There are a few differences, but it’s striking. They have the same hair color, a very light pale blonde and bright blue eyes. No mistaking it.
“Did he send you?” she asks Callie. “Why are you here?” She looks back and forth between us.
Callie and I say nothing. We’re still staring in shock.
“Who are they, Mom?” Kit asks, turning to her mom, looking justifiably confused. Even her voice sounds like Callie’s.
“Is that…?” Callie shakes her head. “No…”
“Look, I promised I wouldn’t ask for more money. Did he send you? Because I haven’t asked for anything. I kept my promise.”
“What are you talking about?” I finally ask.
“Hamilton,” she says with a sigh. “I told him I didn’t want anything after he signed away his rights.”
I turn and look at Callie wide eyed, and she’s looking at me and the color has drained from her face. She looks like she’s about to throw up.
I hold up my hands. “Can we talk to you? Just give us ten minutes, please.”
Ten minutes is the bare minimum of what she owes me. I look at Callie and back at her. Callie looks like she needs a paper bag to breathe in, and the way she just dropped this bombshell of information so casually is not appreciated. Not only has she hurt me, but now she’s hurting Callie. She needs to explain herself.
She looks like she wants to say no but puts her head down and then looks up and nods. “Okay, ten minutes. Kit, go over to Karrie’s. I’ll come get you in a few minutes.”
“Mom,” Kit whines like she doesn’t want to go.
“Go,” she says firmly. “Now.”
We follow her inside, and she sighs when she shuts the door. “I expected that you’d find me someday. But I didn’t think you’d be with her,” she says, looking back and forth between us.
“Can you explain everything from the beginning?” I ask patiently, trying not to let my voice shake. “I just need to know.”
She swallows and looks down. “I’m not proud of it, but I had an affair with Hamilton when I worked at the bank. Sam found out, and we fought. At first, he tried to accept Kit as his own, but…it got too hard for me. I was embarrassed by what I’d done. I never should have left you. I’ve regretted it every single day. I am so sorry. Every day that went by, I felt even more guilty like I had no right to come back and that I didn’t deserve you.”
“Kit is my half sister?” Callie asks.
“You didn’t know?” she asks, looking horrified.
We don’t say anything, but Callie slips her hand in mine. I can feel her shaking next to me.
