Perso

ver-slow and steady, carving deep

.

so much hope. The nursery Elizabeth had never seen became Kelvin's

ld Kelvin asked one day, lookin

the lie. "Your mother died when you were born, son.

explaining that Kelvin's adoptive mother h

believing the woman who gave him life had died bringing

never able to throw them away. He never remarried. Never even dated. He threw himse

g except

.

Elizabeth built a

s a waitress at night-while her mother watched baby Helen. She saved ever

By the time Helen was ten, Elizabeth was a senior manager. By the

lessons. Good schools. College f

g except

year-old Helen asked once, holding

ather died a long time ago, sweetheart. Before you were old e

ilt on a found

ty-five years ago, believing she'd never known h

.

ars fl

tures and a gentle heart. He studied business, worked hard, made James p

er he'd never known. Wondered what she looked like. If h

termination and grace. She studied marketing like Elizabeth, carved her own path, built

her she'd never known. Wondered what he looked like. If

.

lts, each carrying a piece of missing

iological mother died

r father died twe

th, hiring investigator after investigato

d if James had tried to find her, convince

ly knew the

d apart, each missi

misunderstanding, each drown

Twenty-five years of parallel

.

fate had o

ither Elizabeth nor James had expecte

senior project manager

marketing specialist

e last name. Same

g they were ab

arents' past was about

enty-five years of sile

rs later, fate