“I canceled the wedding.”
I turned.
“What?”
“I can’t marry a man who is still living inside a lie.”
“Vanessa…”
“He needs to fix what he broke before he starts another life.”
I respected her for that.
Later, Adrian came inside with four freezing boys.
“Mom!” Samuel shouted.
“Look!”
He pulled something from his pocket.
A small wooden ornament.
“I made this.”
It was crooked.
The paint was terrible.
But underneath it were five names.
Mom. Dad. Ethan. Daniel. Noah. Samuel.
Five?
I looked at Adrian.
He smiled.
“I may have helped.”
I took the ornament.
For years, I had wondered whether my boys would ever know their father.
I had imagined this moment many times.
But I had never imagined it would happen beside a Christmas tree.
Page 9
Before we left Cedarcrest Estate, Adrian asked to speak with me.
He handed me an envelope.
“What is this?”
“Something I should have given you eight years ago.”
