Frustrated and on the edge of tears—again—I finally rip at the trapped piece and manage to finish zipping up the portfolio with one last exasperated yank.
“Don’t worry about it, Holmes,” I say, brushing past him. “I’ll text you before coming home so you can let me know if that’s allowed.”
He calls after me, but I ignore him, making my way out to the foyer and banging open the door to the stairs before he can reach me.
This started out as such a good day.
22
BOONE
“What is your mother’s name?”
A simple enough question, with a really fucking complicated answer.
Time to step off the diving board.
“Her maiden name was Candace Wagner.”
Hopper grips his heavy canvas apron, his eyes filling and spilling over.
“Candy,” he breathes. “She went by Candy.”
It is only in the middle of all these revelations that I make the final connection. Mom never let anyone shorten her name. Ever.
“Candy sounds like a stripper,”she’d say, laughing.
Or an escort.
Like Hopper was.
Oh Mom.
The big New York adventure responsible for my birth wasn’t just a fling.
Does Dad know?
“She doesn’t like that nickname,” I finally say.
“No, she wouldn’t.” He shakes his head, rocking back and forth. “I never tell anyone my birth name because of how it wasused. Back then.” His eyes widen. “Not that she was ever abused. Luca would never allow anyone to harm his girls.”
His girls.
Mom would hate being called that.
I think back to the story I’ve heard a million times. The day she saw her old high school boyfriend in that diner, every big and heavy truth weighing her down.
But Dad sawher.
He knew deep down who she was, and he wanted all of her, including me.
“How long have you known?”
Shaking off the memories, I grimace, knowing the answer is not a good one.
“Right before I graduated from high school.” I wrinkle my nose. “I was looking for my birth certificate.”
“Did it have my name on it?”
