“You stayed anyway. Then you called me after work for days until we finally got everything approved.”
I barely knew what to say.
“We have your photograph on our mantel.”
“I honestly don’t remember doing that much.”
Ethan smiled.
“We do.”
His father stood.
“We have your photograph on our mantel.”
I remembered a community dinner.
“My photograph?”
Ethan nodded.
“You received a community service award afterward.”
I remembered a community dinner.
Barely.
“The photo is framed with a little brass plate underneath it.”
Janice smiled through her tears.
“The photo is framed with a little brass plate underneath it.”
She looked at Lauren.
“MARGARET — COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD.”
My stomach tightened.
“So tell me something.”
Ethan turned toward Lauren.
His expression changed.
“You’ve been in my parents’ house dozens of times.”
Lauren’s face went white.
“So tell me something.”
“Did you know who your mother was to my family?”
She stared at him.
“Did you know who your mother was to my family?”
Lauren didn’t answer.
“Lauren.”
Her lips trembled.
“You saw the photograph?”
“Yes.”
Nobody moved.
Ethan stared at her.
“How long?”
“Months.”
“Then why have you spent all this time making sure I never met her?”
“You saw the photograph?”
“Yes.”
“And her name?”
Lauren nodded.
“Yes.”
Ethan stepped back.
The words hung there.
“Then why have you spent all this time making sure I never met her?”
Lauren wiped her face.
