would hurt less. I looked at Carol’s handwriting and made myself tell the truth.
“I think she was afraid of losing us. I can’t explain every choice she made.”
Rebecca’s eyes met mine.
“Did she really love me?”
That question nearly undid me.
“Every day of your life,” I said. “You never had to earn it. You never did anything wrong. What she kept from us was her responsibility.”
Rebecca began crying, and I moved to the chair beside her.
“I miss her,” she whispered. “I’m so angry with her, and I still want to call her.”
I put my arm around her.
“I know. So do I.”
We stayed that way until she could speak again.
“Does Anna want to meet me?”
“More than anything. But she knows you need time.”
Rebecca looked at the photograph I’d brought up on my phone.
She studied Anna’s face for a long
