shears in hand, snipping dead heads off the climbing roses. The physical wor

with a dented bumper. She recognized the driver immediately. Mitch Wallace. Bailey's h

away. He sat there, staring through the windshie

own. A cold feeling crep

out, avoiding her eyes. He reached into the cab

e exact same shade as Bailey's. He was wearing clothes t

The boy followed, looking around at

He pulled a crumpled envelope from his back pocket. "B

oy. He had Fronia's chin. Bailey's eyes. It was like

you Adeline? My dad said you

hit her like a

I don't know the details, okay? Bailey just

gged back to the truck, and peeled out of

ne with the boy

was written on the front in Bailey's sloppy ha

pped i

torn from a legal pad

el

Leo is my son. I met his mom a few years ago on a trip. It was a mistake. I

him like family. I know you couldn't give me kids, so maybe

you

il

ds "couldn't give me kids" blu

vice was slowly crushing her ribs. S

ronia's hints about her "barren womb." And the whole time, he had a kid somewhere.

s. Perfectly aligned. She slid it back in

e anger was so hot it burned itself o

is weight from foot to

a kid. He hadn't asked to be born

. She dialed the number

etely hollow. "Start the divorce. Today. I don't want a sett

in her chest released, lea

de, Leo. Your grandmother is go

walked in, his sneakers squ

he looked out at the perfectly manicured lawn, the

was