“She grew up in Anniston, Alabama, and had no brothers or sisters.”

“Oh,” she said, “I was hoping to find someone who might know who my biological father is. The birth certificate said “Unknown.”

I took a deep breath. “His name was Sam Davidson, and he also lived here, until he passed away a few years ago.”

Deanna blinked. “You knew him, too?”

“Not like I knew Violet.” I was desperately searching for the right way to introduce this woman to her past gently. “The thing is...well, Sam and his family never knew about you. He was married and living in New York when you were born. He spent most of his life there.”

“New York? How did he end up in this place?” She waved her hand at the Fairfield Springs logo stenciled on the lobby wall.

“Sam’s parents insisted he marry a girl—her name was Deborah—and go to New York with her and her family. They arranged a career for Sam running a large department store. That was the family business, and a sort of deal was struck...”

“Wait,” she interrupted. “They made him go to New York? I don’t understand.”

“Well, I don’t entirely, either, except it was 1947, and I think Sam knew they’d never accept Violet. His parents may have threatened to disown him if he married her.” Deanna was staring at me, puzzled and impatient. “Sam was Jewish. Violet was a Southern Baptist girl.”

“So? If they loved each other...did they love each other?”

“Yes, they did, very much. But like I said, it was a different time, and Sam never knew Violet was pregnant.”

“And he came back to Alabama? Why was he here?”

“After his wife passed away he returned to Alabama. His health began to fail within a year or two and he ended up in assisted living here. He used to sit next to Violet at lunch. I called it The Cool Kids’ Table.”

Deanna paused to allow me a tight, fleeting smile, but her words came faster and faster. “She never told him? He never knew he had a daughter in Florida?”

I shook my head. “You need to understand, Violet tried to find you for years. She was told that unless you inquired about your records no information could be released. In addition, she wasn’t sure you knew you’d been adopted. She didn’t want to shatter your world.” I reached for her hand and squeezed. “She didn’t want to burden Sam, either. He was a frail old man when he came to Fairfield.”

“I might have half-brothers and sisters in New York,” Deanna said. She wrung her hands in her lap and began tapping her foot nervously. The nurse in me was worried about her blood pressure.

“Yes, that’s true,” I said.