The silence on the other end of the line stretched for several seconds. When Jude spoke again, his voice had a controlled quality to it that hadn't been there before.
"Are you safe now?" The question was direct, his tone leaving no room for evasion.
"Yes," Angela said, gripping Kiara's hand. "We got away. We live in town now, and he's out at the homestead. But he still comes looking for us."
"I see." The sound of more typing came through the speaker. "Would you be comfortable meeting in person? I'd like to arrange for that DNA test we discussed, and I think it might be easier to talk through some of these details face to face."
Angela bit her lip, looking at Kiara, who nodded vigorously.
"I would, but…" She hesitated. "We don't have a car. We're kind of limited to Briar Hollow."
"That's not a problem. I can come to you." Jude's response was immediate.
“Do you want to meet at the bakery?” Angela asked.
“I had considered that, but I think it might be better if we could meet somewhere privately? I’ll be bringing someone to do the DNA test, and it would probably be best not to do it sitting in a restaurant.”
That made sense, but as Angela glanced around their small apartment, she wasn’t sure she wanted him there.
“You could use one of the study rooms at the library,” Kiara suggested. “I’m working there until one tomorrow, so I can make sure a room is available for you.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” Jude said. “Would that work for you, Angela?”
Angela appreciated that he was checking with her, and it would definitely work for her. Mainly because it meant that Kiara would be there if she needed her.
“That would be fine. I’m at the bakery until noon, so meeting anytime after that would work.”
“We’ll aim to be there around one.”
“Do you need directions to the library?”
Jude chuckled, a lovely deep sound that washed over her, making Angela smile, even though she was still in knots over the whole thing.
“I’m pretty sure I won’t get too lost in Briar Hollow,” he said. “And I can look up the address of the library.”
“Okay. Sounds good.”
“See you then,” Jude said. “Take care, Angela.”
“Uh… you too.”
When the screen of her phone went black, Angela stared at it.
“Well, this is exciting,” Kiara said as she leaned to loop her arm over Angela’s shoulders.
“Is it?” Angela glanced over at her sister. “I find it a little scary.”
Kiara sighed, then shifted her chair so she faced Angela directly. “I know the unknown can be scary, but you’re going to get some answers.”
“Maybe I don’t want answers.”
“Why not?”
“Jim and Sandra always said that they rescued us from terrible circumstances. I’m not sure I want to know what they might be.”
“I don’t think you’re going to be finding out about your birth family,” Kiara said. “The only thing that makes sense is that you and the woman in the picture were put up for adoption separately, so her adopted family might not have known there were two of you.”
“Why wouldn’t they try to keep siblings together?” Angela asked.
