old the weight of what she knew.
The letter continued.
Leo is your son. I named him the way we planned. I taught him the melody because I knew no one could fake that part of us. If he plays it for you and you still remember, help him. Not for me. For him.
Sebastian’s vision blurred.
He looked at Leo.
The boy was trying very hard not to cry.
“Where is she?”
“At St. Mercy Clinic,” Leo said. “Near the tracks. The doctor said if we don’t pay, she can’t stay.”
A sound escaped Vivian.
Not a sob.
Something worse.
Sebastian turned toward his mother.
“You knew?”
Vivian’s lips trembled.
“I thought she took the money.”
“What money?”
Claire stepped between them.
“This is not the place.”
Sebastian stood.
The terrace seemed to shrink around him.
“What money?”
Vivian’s eyes filled.
“Your father said Elena accepted a settlement and left before the birth. He said the child didn’t survive. He showed us papers.”
“Who brought the papers?”
Vivian did not look at Claire.
She did not have to.
Sebastian turned.
Claire’s face had hardened now.
