That nearly broke me.
I held him tighter.
“You have me.”
the first time since Tyler’s announcement filled the airplane cabin, something inside me became clear.
I could lose my marriage.
I could lose the house.
I could discover that half my past was fabricated.
But I would not let Mason lose the certainty that he belonged somewhere.
He belonged with me.
Not because of paperwork.
Not because of biology.
Because I had been there.
Every fever.
Every nightmare.
Every first day of school.
Every scraped knee.
Every bedtime story.
I was his mother.
And whatever happened next, I would make sure he never had to wonder whether that was true.
—
Tyler called seventeen times.
I didn’t answer.
Then he started texting.
CLAIRE PLEASE.
YOU DON’T HAVE THE WHOLE STORY.
DO NOT LEAVE THE AIRPORT.
WE NEED TO TALK BEFORE YOU SPEAK TO POLICE.
That last message made Priya raise an eyebrow.
