After the dust settled and the impact of that statement had finally worked its way through her brain, Quinn still couldn’t hate her for it. The truth was, she would miss her mother so much. Already missed her. Her mom had been kind and loving, completely devoted to Quinn. Whatever she’d done or whatever secrets she’d kept, there was no doubt it was out of love. Now that her mother was gone and Quinn had no one but Ethan, she ached to know her father, or at least know who he was. She also realized that whatever she uncovered might be better left buried, but she was ready to learn the truth, good or bad.

And here she was, holding a small cardboard box that could be the key.

She stood and put the box on the table beside the door. Ethan was expecting her to call and give him a rundown of her day. He wouldn’t understand if she tried to tell him that she’d barely been able to function, much less figure out dinner. That she’d faked her way through the day, accomplishing almost nothing on her list, her entire system on full alert because of what she was about to do.

Ethan assumed she was still off because of her mother’s death. He also knew that Quinn couldn’t think of much else other than fulfilling her mom’s wishes by taking her ashes to Maui and putting her to rest. He’d bought tickets and insisted she book the hotel reservations, declaring they’d make a vacation out of it. After Quinn memorialized her mother, of course.

They were set to leave in a month.

“It will help lift you out of this mood, Quinn,” he’d said.

While he went on and on about the adventures Maui had to offer, Quinn was quiet, thinking of the moment when she’d have to leave her mother behind on the island. Traveling there was not going to be the mood-lifter he thought it was. Not for her.

There were things he didn’t know, like the mystery of who her father was. It didn’t feel right to tell him yet—she wanted this to stay between her and her mother for the time being. Quinn had a strong suspicion that the information her mom had been so intent on keeping to herself had probably poisoned her body, inviting the cancer in and allowing it to eat away until nothing was left but the shell of the woman Quinn had nearly worshipped. But even as her mother made her final will and testament, she’d not been able to bring herself to disclose the details of a story that could set her daughter free. Why?

She took a deep breath and readied herself, then picked up the phone.

Her fingers stiffened stubbornly, as though they didn’t want to obey, but eventually there was a ring. Ethan picked up quickly.