But Harry hadn’t laughed or joined in the joke with a fast rejoinder and she’d experienced a pang of disappointment. Instead he’d offered her a hot grilled cheese toastie before driving her to Burrunan. When they’d arrived, Nick had hugged her hard then vigorously shaken Harry’s hand. Libby hugged Harry and then Alice when Nick released her, but Libby didn’t let go of her hand, clearly worried that, if she did, Alice might vanish again.

“It will be okay,” Libby kept saying after Harry had left.

“Will it? They’ve kept an enormous lie for thirty-four years! I mean, Karen was open and honest about everything and she expected us to be too. God, all those excruciating talks about sex and contraception and drugs and drinking. How she insisted if we had a question about anything we ask her. You did, I didn’t. Everything was a teaching moment!”

“Nothing fazed her. She was the most progressive mother in the district.”

“But it’s all a sham, isn’t it? For all her talk about the importance of honest and open communication, she hasn’t been honest with me. Why did Karen and Peter lie to me?”

“To us! I don’t know, but there must be a reason. Whatever it is, they’re still Mom and Dad.”

Alice flinched. “They’re your mom and dad. I have no idea who my parents are. I can’t even start to wrap my head around it. Are you sure neither one of them can be my biological parent?”

“The blood group says it’s impossible and their reaction confirmed it. Tomorrow, we’ll demand answers. They can’t not tell us.”

Alice wanted to learn the truth as much as she feared it. “They can. I mean, they’ve lied this long.”

“If they do, we’ll test your DNA and start searching for answers that way.” Libby squeezed her hand. “But I doubt it will come to that. Now the secret’s out, there’s no reason not to tell the whole story. I get the feeling Dad’s relieved we know.”

Alice’s heart ached. For all the times she clashed with Karen, Peter was always in her corner. Even though he wasn’t artistic, he wasn’t quite as organized as Karen. He liked to take his time and mull on things, unlike Libby and Karen, who specialized in making fast decisions. For as long as Alice could remember, she’d treasured the understanding she was more like him.

“Maybe all of this explains why I’m so different from you and Karen.”

“Look in the mirror. You’re not very different.”

“You know what I mean. I’m the disorganized Hunter. The vague and messy one. The one everyone worries about.”

“Only because we love you.”

Alice pulled her hand out of Libby’s, not ready to have that conversation. “I just want to sleep.” And forget.