“Shoo!” Paula waves away the crowd that has gathered to gape at me. I feel like an animal in a zoo. Same concept, really. Those animals are also trapped in an artificial habitat that will never be their real home. “They are all so excited to see you,” she explains.

Craig claps his hands together. “Why don’t we go upstairs so you can see your room?”

The four of us head upstairs on plush carpeting to a long hallway with four doors.

“This is Sarah’s room.” Craig gestures to a closed door. Sarah stands in front of it with her arms crossed, not making any movement to let me see it. “Well, let’s move on to our bedroom.”

We walk to the end of the hallway where Craig and Paula sleep. The room’s huge. In addition to the biggest bed I’ve ever seen, there’s a chaise lounge in the corner next to a door that opens to a deck that overlooks the backyard.

“Now, let’s get to the best part,” Craig says as we walk down to the room across from Sarah’s. He opens the door to another bedroom. There’s a large bed with a fluffy floral duvet. The dark wood and silver bed frame match the two nightstands and large chest of drawers. It opens into a bathroom that looks like it belongs in a hotel: all white marble and stainless steel fixtures. I’m so afraid I’m going to break or mess up something. I look down at my beat-up All Stars and hope I’m not tracking any dirt on the off-white carpeting.

“We can make any changes you want,” Paula adds. “I also have a couple boxes from your old room for you to go through. Obviously, it’s all from when you were a baby, but I thought you might want a few things.”

Craig puts his arm around her. “We’ve only been in this house for two years because your mother didn’t want to leave the house you grew up in.”

“I was convinced you’d show up one day and I wouldn’t be there,” Paula says.

“The new owner has a file for what to do if a girl knocks on the door and starts asking questions. A very large file.”

Wow. Since I have no recollection of living in Florida, I wouldn’t even know where that old house was, but I’m not about to inform Paula of that.

Sarah remains in the doorway, a neutral expression on her face.

Actually, it’s not neutral at all. There are quick flashes of boredom, then anger, but most of all it’s clear she is not having any of this.

Me too, I want to say to her. We have more in common than she realizes.