“My husband Graham’s whole family will be there, and we’re taking formal photographs.”
“Nope.”
“Wonderful. Because I need you both tomorrow.”
“For what?” Lizzie asked.
“A family celebration at the country club. My husband Graham’s whole family will be there, and we’re taking formal photographs.”
Jennifer tilted her head.
The room went quiet.
“You need us in a picture?”
“Obviously. You’re my daughters.”
The room went quiet.
Then Jennifer said, “Sure.”
I almost dropped my glass.
The twins disappeared into the kitchen.
Kayla beamed.
“I knew you’d understand.”
“But first,” Jennifer said, “we have something for you.”
Kayla laughed.
“That’s sweet.”
Five minutes later, they returned carrying a large paper shopping bag.
The twins disappeared into the kitchen.
Five minutes later, they returned carrying a large paper shopping bag.
“For you,” Lizzie said.
Kayla opened it.
Her smile vanished.
For several seconds, she simply stared at it.
She reached inside and pulled out a printed copy of the country-club invitation with the photography schedule attached.
For several seconds, she simply stared at it.
Then she looked up sharply.
“Where did you get this?”
Jennifer held her gaze.
Her voice rose enough that Mrs. Patel’s curtain moved across the street.
“Allison posted it.”
Kayla’s face changed.
“Allison?”
Her voice rose enough that Mrs. Patel’s curtain moved across the street.
Jennifer said nothing.
Mrs. Patel stepped onto her porch.
Kayla dropped the papers back into the bag and rushed out the front door without stopping for her shoes or coat.
Mrs. Patel stepped onto her porch.
“Margaret, is everything okay?”
Jennifer closed the door.
I stared at both girls.
Jennifer reached into her pocket and handed me another copy of the same papers.
“What did you do?”
Jennifer reached into her pocket and handed me another copy of the same papers.
The country club event was scheduled for tomorrow.
At the bottom was the photography schedule.
Graham and Kayla with their children and grandchildren.
Four belonged to Graham’s children.
Six adult names followed.
Four belonged to Graham’s children.
The last two were Jennifer and Lizzie.
I looked up.
“You never agreed to this.”
“We found it online this morning.”
“No,” Jennifer said.
Lizzie leaned against the wall.
“We found it online this morning.”
“This morning?”
“One of Graham’s daughters posted it.”
“Kayla didn’t come looking for daughters.”
Jennifer pointed toward the page.
“Kayla didn’t come looking for daughters.”
Her voice was calm.
“She came looking for two empty spaces in a photograph.”
That explained the timing, but not the confidence. Kayla had arrived assuming two women she abandoned as infants would still cooperate on command without question.
“I want to know what she told them.”
The next morning, both girls came downstairs dressed for the country club.
I stared.
“You’re actually going?”
“Yes,” Jennifer said.
