I could hear a spark in his voice, like he was giving in to the illusion that he’d been given a second chance with her. But it was the other way around. Through me, Kori had a second chance with him, a chance to tell him what she hadn’t been able to when she was alive.

“Kori trusted you,” I said quickly. I steeled myself against his reactions and kept talking. “You were wrong to send her away. To believe Mr. Westad and his disgusting son over her.”

The pained look on his face stopped me. His eyes were shut tight and tears seeped out of the wrinkled seams.

Suddenly Mr. Teasley’s office felt very small and I didn’t want to be with Mr. Kitzler and his tears. I didn’t want to feel bad that he’d never have a chance to make things right with his daughter. I wanted to stay mad at him and carry out Kori’s wish.

But now I realized I should have just sent him a letter or something.

“I’m sorry about the statue.”

There was a low quiver to his voice. “I should’ve seen it.”

“I will pay for it.” And just to be certain he understood I meant it, that I was sorry, I looked him in the eye. Pale blue eyes, same as mine. My heart stuttered like Mr. Miller’s truck engine as it tried hard to turn over. Then suddenly it roared hard and fast. And I knew.

The picture Kori had sent me wasn’t the secret she couldn’t tell me. This was.

Mr. K. had to sit down. I needed to stand up, but my legs wouldn’t budge.

“I should have seen it,” he repeated, and I knew this time he wasn’t speaking of the statue. “I never knew. I asked, of course, at the time, but she told me you weren’t mine. And I wanted to believe. And so I did.”

You don’t know it now, but we’re more alike than you think. We’re connected in ways you don’t understand.

I nodded, slipped my hands under my thighs, and rocked forward. “Kori was my sister,” I whispered. “I’m your daughter.” I wasn’t sure if those things would ever truly settle in my mind.

All these years I’d wanted a father I could look up to, someone who was capable of love. This man was not it. I’d been in his house. I’d been friends with his daughter. He knew it was possible and never even looked. Never wanted to know.

The tears that came flowed so heavy, they couldn’t be stopped, not even with both my hands. And when Mr. K.’s arms came around me, I didn’t shake them off.