over.”
They’d slowed to a pedestrian walk. Meri shrugged. “Well, I sort of gave him his freedom.”
Carlyn stopped outright and spun Meri around. “You dumped him?”
“No,” Meri said, stepping aside for a runner to pass. “I just told him to go and—hell, I’m not sure what I said or why. Suddenly I just felt like it was out of my control. I didn’t want to go to California and he didn’t want to stay here. And if we can’t even decide between us, if neither of us is willing to make a sacrifice, maybe it’s not the right relationship.”
They’d started walking again, but again Carlyn stopped. “Of course it is. You guys are perfect together.”
“I thought so. But actually it’s a good thing.”
“Okay, you’re losing me. Come on.” She dragged Meri over to a bench and sat her down. “Spill.”
“It’s not about Peter.”
Carlyn rolled her eyes.
“Really, it isn’t. Something happened. To me. I mean, I found out something this weekend.”
Carlyn’s face changed to apprehension.
“Oh, nothing bad. Nothing life threatening. But something about my past that . . . Oh hell, Carlyn. I was adopted.”
Carlyn’s mouth fell open. “Adopted? Wow. And you just found out this weekend?”
Meri nodded.
“That is so weird. Why wait until now to tell you? They did tell you, right?”
“Sort of. My mother left me a letter.” Meri pulled her feet up and hugged her knees.
“Okay, that’s weirder than just weird.”
“My dad—my stepdad—was there and Gran. They both knew, had known for a long time I’m pretty sure. The letter was from right before my mother died. I guess she didn’t want to die without telling me.”
“Okay,” Carlyn said slowly. “It’s weird. But does it matter? I mean it doesn’t change anything about you . . . except maybe your blood type.” She grinned, and Meri felt “normal” for the first time since she’d found out about her birth. But it didn’t last. It wasn’t just that she was adopted. She was pretty sure she could get past that. But it was the other thing.
“Are you freaked? You shouldn’t be. I mean, I know it will take some getting used to. But does it really change anything? You have a great family, and they haven’t changed.”
“That’s what Alden said.”
“Your neighbor out in Compton?”
“Yeah. He said my family loved me, and that was all that mattered.”
“Sounds like a pretty smart old dude.”
“Yeah, but there’s something else.” Should she tell Carlyn the whole truth? It would leave her vulnerable if it got out. Would there be legal ramifications? What could possibly happen? Her mother was dead, and Meri could hardly be held responsible. But Gran. What could they do to Gran?
“What? Go on and get it out. And we’ll figure out how to deal.”
Meri hesitated. Took a breath. If she couldn’t trust Carlyn, there was no one on earth she could trust. “I’m not sure the adoption was legal.”
Chapter 6
W hoa. You mean like black market kind of stuff?
“No. Not exactly.”
“Not exactly, how?”
“I don’t know if I should tell anyone.”
“Cross my heart and hope to die if you leave me dangling at this point.”
Meri smiled. She was so fortunate in her family and in her friends. She knew that. She’d come this far. And maybe Carlyn would have some advice.
“I don’t know all the facts. I was so blown away, I just fled back here without asking too many questions. I know I have to, but—” She shivered.
Carlyn dragged her to her feet. “Talk while we walk. I’m feeling the need of a triple-double shot something.” She slipped her arm into Meri’s. “Start from the beginning.”
So Meri told her about the letter. About her mother’s dead baby. About the teenager whose baby lived. How she was that baby and her mother’s baby was buried with the teenager.
“Holy crap,” Carlyn said when Meri had come to the end of her explanation. “I’m buying breakfast. Are you going to try to
They’d slowed to a pedestrian walk. Meri shrugged. “Well, I sort of gave him his freedom.”
Carlyn stopped outright and spun Meri around. “You dumped him?”
“No,” Meri said, stepping aside for a runner to pass. “I just told him to go and—hell, I’m not sure what I said or why. Suddenly I just felt like it was out of my control. I didn’t want to go to California and he didn’t want to stay here. And if we can’t even decide between us, if neither of us is willing to make a sacrifice, maybe it’s not the right relationship.”
They’d started walking again, but again Carlyn stopped. “Of course it is. You guys are perfect together.”
“I thought so. But actually it’s a good thing.”
“Okay, you’re losing me. Come on.” She dragged Meri over to a bench and sat her down. “Spill.”
“It’s not about Peter.”
Carlyn rolled her eyes.
“Really, it isn’t. Something happened. To me. I mean, I found out something this weekend.”
Carlyn’s face changed to apprehension.
“Oh, nothing bad. Nothing life threatening. But something about my past that . . . Oh hell, Carlyn. I was adopted.”
Carlyn’s mouth fell open. “Adopted? Wow. And you just found out this weekend?”
Meri nodded.
“That is so weird. Why wait until now to tell you? They did tell you, right?”
“Sort of. My mother left me a letter.” Meri pulled her feet up and hugged her knees.
“Okay, that’s weirder than just weird.”
“My dad—my stepdad—was there and Gran. They both knew, had known for a long time I’m pretty sure. The letter was from right before my mother died. I guess she didn’t want to die without telling me.”
“Okay,” Carlyn said slowly. “It’s weird. But does it matter? I mean it doesn’t change anything about you . . . except maybe your blood type.” She grinned, and Meri felt “normal” for the first time since she’d found out about her birth. But it didn’t last. It wasn’t just that she was adopted. She was pretty sure she could get past that. But it was the other thing.
“Are you freaked? You shouldn’t be. I mean, I know it will take some getting used to. But does it really change anything? You have a great family, and they haven’t changed.”
“That’s what Alden said.”
“Your neighbor out in Compton?”
“Yeah. He said my family loved me, and that was all that mattered.”
“Sounds like a pretty smart old dude.”
“Yeah, but there’s something else.” Should she tell Carlyn the whole truth? It would leave her vulnerable if it got out. Would there be legal ramifications? What could possibly happen? Her mother was dead, and Meri could hardly be held responsible. But Gran. What could they do to Gran?
“What? Go on and get it out. And we’ll figure out how to deal.”
Meri hesitated. Took a breath. If she couldn’t trust Carlyn, there was no one on earth she could trust. “I’m not sure the adoption was legal.”
Chapter 6
W hoa. You mean like black market kind of stuff?
“No. Not exactly.”
“Not exactly, how?”
“I don’t know if I should tell anyone.”
“Cross my heart and hope to die if you leave me dangling at this point.”
Meri smiled. She was so fortunate in her family and in her friends. She knew that. She’d come this far. And maybe Carlyn would have some advice.
“I don’t know all the facts. I was so blown away, I just fled back here without asking too many questions. I know I have to, but—” She shivered.
Carlyn dragged her to her feet. “Talk while we walk. I’m feeling the need of a triple-double shot something.” She slipped her arm into Meri’s. “Start from the beginning.”
So Meri told her about the letter. About her mother’s dead baby. About the teenager whose baby lived. How she was that baby and her mother’s baby was buried with the teenager.
“Holy crap,” Carlyn said when Meri had come to the end of her explanation. “I’m buying breakfast. Are you going to try to
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