As his dad left, David turned back to his computer and studied the message he wanted to send Melissa. He made a slight change and then hovered over the Send button. Finally he pressed it and took a deep breath. He’d done it. He’d finally responded. And that gave him the courage to find the page for Brian and his wife, Azure. David wondered, if he met his biological father, would people recognize him as Brian’s son? David wasn’t sure he wanted that, especially since his dad had done so much for him.

He had said they would support him whatever he decided. But didn’t a little of his dad ache knowing that David was interested in finding out more about Melissa and Brian?

Brian tended the firepit, the flames flickering and sending sparks into the night. Azure held Presley in her lap as the girl looked at the night sky. It was just before nine and an hour past her bedtime, but they let her stay up to hear the crickets and enjoy the fire.

Though the evening was peaceful, there was still a storm inside Brian. He had gone from being grateful for Azure’s support and understanding to frustrated with how Melissa just couldn’t let go of the past.

“Maybe everything will settle down now,” Azure said. “Maybe David won’t want to reach out. I mean, think how his adoptive parents must feel about all of this.”

“It’s got to be hard for them,” Brian said. “They’re the ones who raised him.”

“Exactly,” Azure said.

“Who’s David?” Presley said.

“Shhhh,” Azure said. “Just let Dad and me talk.”

“Maybe nothing will come of it and it’ll just blow over,” Brian said.

“And maybe something good will come of it. I can see how painful it is for you to even think about this. But what if walking through this together does something good? What if seeing him will bring the closure you never got to have?”

“I don’t see what good could come of going back over the mistakes you make.”

Azure hugged Presley tightly. “Are you saying he was a mistake?”

“No, but I pushed her to do something she didn’t want. I drove her up there. I sold my radio to get the money. I really wanted her to take care of it. And we argued. So now, when I think about it . . . I don’t want to think about it. Is that a crime? I just want to live my life and raise my family and do what I’m supposed to do without going back and digging through the trash.”

He stoked the fire and Presley, oblivious to the conversation now, pointed out the stars and then spotted an airplane that passed overhead, its lights blinking.