What an astounding day she’d had, though. She felt like she’d been to hell and back, but then she remembered the evening spent under the stars, feeling less alone than she’d felt in years. The experience with Liam left her feeling slightly embarrassed but also unexpectedly refreshed. She’d needed the judgment-free outlet that he gave her so easily. He hadn’t tried to talk her down from her emotional cliff dive. He’d chosen not to use any clichés or words of wisdom to make her feel better, somehow knowing that what she needed most of all was to let it all out, to release the pain of finding out she was never who she thought she was.

For that, she’d always treasure their friendship.

She sat up and checked her phone. Fourteen unread emails from work.

Nothing from Ethan.

Relieved that she wouldn’t have to read any begging or accusatory texts so early in the morning, she quietly untangled herself from the bedcovers and headed for the bathroom.

After a quick shower, she dressed in a shirt and well-worn shorts she normally saved for indoors only, then put on just the lightest touch of sunscreen and makeup, pulled her hair up, grabbed her bag, and slipped out the door.

She considered her sandals outside on the porch but left them behind as she headed for the trail. The beach beckoned her to return, and Quinn was ready to comply. At the water’s edge she found she could think more easily. The soft sound of the waves lapping at the shore calmed her soul, allowing her to work out the priorities in her mind.

Arriving at her favorite spot, she sank down in the sand and slipped her sunglasses on. The ocean was calm today, and she stared out, imagining she was on a boat that would take her far away from all her responsibilities. There were so many decisions to make now, with the first and most important one being when and how she wanted to make contact with her biological parents.

Of course she was curious about them. Just like any child who hadn’t known their mother or father, she wondered if she looked like them. And who was she most like in her personality? Did her love of reading come from her mother, and was her tendency to bottle up her feelings something her father had handed down?

Carmen and Helen said she looked just like her mother, but were there any physical traits from her father? Her nose, possibly? Or the shape of her ears? She thought about Maggie’s feet and how she always bemoaned that they were exact miniatures of her father’s and brothers’ wide ones, with long toes, a paternal trait she hadn’t particularly wanted.