I had not heard Aunt Rebecca\u2019s name in years.<\/p>\n
Not because she was dead.<\/p>\n
Not because there had been some dramatic family feud that everybody discussed.<\/p>\n
She had simply faded from our lives.<\/p>\n
At first there were birthday cards.<\/p>\n
Then Christmas emails.<\/p>\n
Then occasional social-media messages.<\/p>\n
After I turned eighteen, almost nothing.<\/p>\n
I had assumed adulthood had done what it often did to distant relatives.<\/p>\n
People became busy.<\/p>\n
Addresses changed.<\/p>\n
Connections thinned.<\/p>\n
Now Margaret Lyle was telling me Rebecca had challenged the transfer of Mom\u2019s property four years earlier.<\/p>\n
The same year I turned eighteen.<\/p>\n
The same year Dad gave Cynthia limited financial authority.<\/p>\n
The same year Cynthia allegedly forged the document.<\/p>\n
I leaned closer to the speaker.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat exactly did Rebecca do?\u201d<\/p>\n
Margaret\u2019s voice remained measured.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe contacted my office after learning that a deed had been recorded transferring the property out of your trust.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did she know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour mother named Rebecca as a contingent protector of the trust.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Dad.<\/p>\n
He looked genuinely confused.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
Margaret answered before he could.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means Elena wanted someone other than Daniel to have standing to raise concerns if the trust assets were mishandled.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad closed his eyes.<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew Rebecca had some role.\u201d<\/p>\n
Margaret spoke again.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew exactly what role she had, Daniel.\u201d<\/p>\n
The words landed hard.<\/p>\n
Dad looked at the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cMargaret.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her voice sharpened for the first time.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis situation has gone too far for vague memory.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt something shift inside me.<\/p>\n
Margaret was not going to protect him.<\/p>\n
That mattered.<\/p>\n
She continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cElena insisted Rebecca remain involved because she was concerned Daniel might avoid confrontation if another person pressured him.\u201d<\/p>\n
My chest tightened.<\/p>\n
Mom had seen all of this.<\/p>\n
Not the exact details.<\/p>\n
Not the forged signature.<\/p>\n
But the pattern.<\/p>\n
Dad asked quietly, \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you contact me when Rebecca challenged the deed?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTwice.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t remember.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI sent certified letters.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n
I said nothing.<\/p>\n
Margaret continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne was signed for at your address.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s brow furrowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy who?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI would need to retrieve the delivery record.\u201d<\/p>\n
I already knew what I thought.<\/p>\n
\u201cCynthia.\u201d<\/p>\n
Margaret did not confirm it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI cannot say without the receipt.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened after Rebecca challenged it?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe county office requested additional documentation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom who?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the person claiming authority to execute the transfer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCynthia?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe filing was submitted through a document service. Cynthia\u2019s name did not appear as the preparer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho did?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSamuel Price.\u201d<\/p>\n
The notary.<\/p>\n
I looked at Dad.<\/p>\n
He understood too.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo the same man who notarized the signature prepared the filing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs that normal?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can be.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut in this situation?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad leaned toward the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy wasn\u2019t the transfer reversed?\u201d<\/p>\n
Margaret paused.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Rebecca withdrew her objection.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at the speaker.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI do not know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid she explain?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you ask?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRepeatedly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat the family had resolved it privately.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe never resolved anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI suspected that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why didn\u2019t you contact Maya?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was eighteen and legally entitled to information, but my office no longer represented the trust.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could have called.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Margaret\u2019s voice softened.<\/p>\n
\u201cI should have.\u201d<\/p>\n
That admission hit differently from Dad\u2019s apologies.<\/p>\n
Maybe because she did not defend it.<\/p>\n
Maybe because she was not asking me to make her feel better.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened to Rebecca?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you have her number?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAn old one.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGive it to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Margaret did.<\/p>\n
I saved it.<\/p>\n
Then she added, \u201cMaya, there is something else.\u201d<\/p>\n
I almost laughed.<\/p>\n
Every conversation now contained that sentence.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe deed is not the only document Samuel Price notarized.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad went still.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA trust amendment.\u201d<\/p>\n
My pulse jumped.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe one Dad signed?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat amendment?\u201d<\/p>\n
Margaret continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cA separate amendment submitted two months after the property transfer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did it change?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe contingent beneficiary.\u201d<\/p>\n
I frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho was the contingent beneficiary before?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRebecca.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd after?\u201d<\/p>\n
Margaret hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrandon.\u201d<\/p>\n
Every person in the kitchen looked at him.<\/p>\n
Brandon\u2019s face drained of color.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
He stepped closer to the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I didn\u2019t know that.\u201d<\/p>\n
I believed him.<\/p>\n
Mostly because his reaction was too immediate.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does contingent beneficiary mean here?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf something happened to you before full distribution, remaining trust assets could pass to the named contingent beneficiary.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at Brandon.<\/p>\n
He backed away slightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI swear I didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s voice became hard.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho signed the amendment?\u201d<\/p>\n
Margaret answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s expression darkened.<\/p>\n
\u201cAgain?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is notarized.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBy Samuel Price?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
A terrible clarity formed.<\/p>\n
Cynthia had not simply transferred one property.<\/p>\n
Someone had attempted to restructure what happened to my assets if I died.<\/p>\n
And Brandon\u2019s name had been inserted.<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
He looked sick.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaya, I didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStop saying that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI really didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI said stop.\u201d<\/p>\n
He closed his mouth.<\/p>\n
I understood that ignorance might be true.<\/p>\n
I also understood how little comfort it gave me.<\/p>\n
Dad asked Margaret for copies.<\/p>\n
She promised to send them securely.<\/p>\n
Then she said she strongly recommended we stop handling the matter as a family dispute.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need counsel specializing in trust litigation and possible fraud.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI already contacted someone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Samuel Price?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI would not contact him directly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause if there was misconduct, you do not want to alert him before your attorney preserves records.\u201d<\/p>\n
I wrote that down.<\/p>\n
Years of nursing school had made note-taking automatic even while my mind was spinning.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about Rebecca?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is different.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think I should call?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think you deserve to ask why she withdrew.\u201d<\/p>\n
We ended the call.<\/p>\n
No one moved.<\/p>\n
Finally Brandon spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m leaving.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked up.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause every time I stand here, something else has my name on it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think leaving changes that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
He rubbed both hands over his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to think.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere will you go?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCynthia\u2019s?\u201d<\/p>\n
Brandon shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
That surprised both of us.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m getting a hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about Mason?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s safe with Tessa.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad nodded.<\/p>\n
Brandon reached for his jacket.<\/p>\n
Before he left, he stopped beside me.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaya.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Relief appeared in his face.<\/p>\n
Then I continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you ignored enough things that Cynthia never needed you to know.\u201d<\/p>\n
The relief disappeared.<\/p>\n
He nodded once.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the first time, he seemed to.<\/p>\n
After he left, Dad sat across from me.<\/p>\n
Neither of us discussed Rebecca immediately.<\/p>\n
Instead we waited.<\/p>\n
Maybe because calling her meant opening another door.<\/p>\n
Maybe because we were both afraid of what would be behind it.<\/p>\n
Eventually I dialed.<\/p>\n
The first attempt went straight to voicemail.<\/p>\n
I did not leave a message.<\/p>\n
The second time, ten minutes later, someone answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cHello?\u201d<\/p>\n
The voice was older than I remembered.<\/p>\n
\u201cAunt Rebecca?\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Then, carefully, \u201cWho is this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s Maya.\u201d<\/p>\n
The line went completely quiet.<\/p>\n
I thought the call had dropped.<\/p>\n
Then I heard her breathe.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaya?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh my God.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her voice broke.<\/p>\n
I stood.<\/p>\n
Dad looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m with Dad.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another silence.<\/p>\n
Longer.<\/p>\n
Then Rebecca said, \u201cIs Cynthia there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you safe?\u201d<\/p>\n
The question startled me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Dad.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy are you asking?\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca exhaled.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I\u2019ve been waiting four years for this call.\u201d<\/p>\n
My skin went cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened four years ago?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI tried to stop the property transfer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMargaret told me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca cursed softly.<\/p>\n
Not at Margaret.<\/p>\n
At herself.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen you know I withdrew.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you hate me?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at the wall.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know enough yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s fair.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy did you withdraw?\u201d<\/p>\n
She began crying.<\/p>\n
Quietly.<\/p>\n
Not dramatically.<\/p>\n
The kind of crying people do when they have carried shame for too long.<\/p>\n
\u201cRebecca,\u201d Dad said.<\/p>\n
Her crying stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou really don\u2019t know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI sent you letters.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI never saw them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI called the house.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThree times.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI never spoke to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I knew the answer before she said it.<\/p>\n
\u201cCynthia answered.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she tell you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca took a breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat Maya was having problems.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind of problems?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said you were depressed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said school had become overwhelming.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI had just started college.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said you were unstable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anger moved through me so quickly I felt dizzy.<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s face hardened.<\/p>\n
Rebecca continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said Daniel was trying to protect you from financial information because he was afraid you\u2019d do something impulsive.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat never happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know that now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou believed her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot at first.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat changed?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe sent me messages.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Dad.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat messages?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cScreenshots that looked like they came from you.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did they say?\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca\u2019s voice trembled.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat you wanted everyone to leave you alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
I gripped the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never sent you that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause years later I found the number was not yours.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room went silent.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat number was it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI still have it saved.\u201d<\/p>\n
She read it.<\/p>\n
Dad wrote it down.<\/p>\n
His face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was Cynthia\u2019s old prepaid phone.\u201d<\/p>\n
My hands became cold.<\/p>\n
Rebecca continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought you were messaging me from a private number because you didn\u2019t want Daniel to know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe pretended to be me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy withdraw the objection?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told me the legal dispute was making you worse.\u201d<\/p>\n
My throat tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said every time someone questioned the trust, you panicked.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is insane.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe manipulated you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid she threaten you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca was silent.<\/p>\n
Then she said, \u201cEventually.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe knew about my debt.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat debt?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMedical.\u201d<\/p>\n
I remembered Rebecca\u2019s husband had been sick.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said if I continued interfering, Daniel would sue me for legal costs and challenge money Elena had lent me years earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad stared at the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would never have done that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know that now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you call me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI tried.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCall my work.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI should have.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca\u2019s voice cracked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was ashamed. I was broke. My husband was sick. Cynthia knew exactly what to say.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nobody spoke.<\/p>\n
Then Rebecca added, \u201cThere\u2019s one thing you need to know.\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI met Samuel Price.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFour years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe asked me to sign a statement withdrawing my objection.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA diner near the county office.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWas Cynthia there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he mention her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat the transfer was legitimate and Daniel had authorized it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe also had copies of personal information.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat information?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout Maya.\u201d<\/p>\n
My chest tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSchool records. Work schedule. Addresses.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Dad.<\/p>\n
His face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would he have that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said everyone would be better off if I stopped interfering.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s voice became very quiet.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he threaten Maya?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRebecca.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe didn\u2019t threaten her directly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
She took a shaky breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said young people make mistakes when too many adults pull them into legal problems.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt sick.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you think I was in danger?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you still never called me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought withdrawing would protect you.\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n
Mom\u2019s sentence returned.<\/p>\n
People who benefited from silence often called questions disrespectful.<\/p>\n
Silence had done more than protect Cynthia.<\/p>\n
It had isolated every person who might have challenged her.<\/p>\n
I took a breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cSend me everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI will.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cScreenshots. Messages. Samuel\u2019s information. All of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI kept everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I stopped trusting my own memory.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sentence hit harder than anything else.<\/p>\n
That was exactly why I had kept my timeline.<\/p>\n
Not because I was plotting.<\/p>\n
Because repeated denial eventually made evidence feel like the only stable ground.<\/p>\n
Dad whispered, \u201cRebecca, I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
She answered, \u201cSo am I.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the call, we sat in silence.<\/p>\n
Then Dad\u2019s phone buzzed.<\/p>\n
An email from Margaret.<\/p>\n
Two attachments.<\/p>\n
He opened the first.<\/p>\n
The trust amendment naming Brandon as contingent beneficiary.<\/p>\n
The signature at the bottom looked like his.<\/p>\n
The second attachment was the notary certificate.<\/p>\n
Samuel Price.<\/p>\n
Dad stared.<\/p>\n
I leaned closer.<\/p>\n
There was an address below Samuel\u2019s name.<\/p>\n
Something about it looked familiar.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve seen that address.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
I searched my memory.<\/p>\n
Then I remembered.<\/p>\n
One of the screenshots in my timeline.<\/p>\n
Cynthia had once asked me to drop off an envelope while I was driving home from the clinic.<\/p>\n
I had taken a screenshot of the address because I did not know the neighborhood.<\/p>\n
My pulse jumped.<\/p>\n
I opened the folder on my phone.<\/p>\n
Found the image.<\/p>\n
Same street.<\/p>\n
Same number.<\/p>\n
I turned the screen toward Dad.<\/p>\n
He stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe sent you there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you deliver?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know. A sealed envelope.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
I checked the date.<\/p>\n
Four years ago.<\/p>\n
Three days before the trust amendment was notarized.<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s face went pale.<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cCynthia used me to deliver something to Samuel Price.\u201d<\/p>\n
Neither of us spoke.<\/p>\n
Then my phone buzzed with another message.<\/p>\n
This time from Brandon.<\/p>\n
I opened it.<\/p>\n
One sentence.<\/p>\n
Maya, I think Samuel Price is my father.<\/p>\n
I had not heard Aunt Rebecca\u2019s name in years. Not because she was dead. Not because there had been some dramatic family feud that everybody discussed. She had simply faded … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3633,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-readmore"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3640","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3640"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/readstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3640\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3655,"href":"https:\/\/readstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3640\/revisions\/3655"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3633"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}