Ethan hailed a cab. During the ride to a nearby family restaurant, he watched how the boys behaved. They sat pressed close together, always touching, as if they needed constant physical reassurance that the other was there. They whispered in their own secret twin language but answered politely whenever he asked a question.
At the restaurant, he ordered simple food he knew kids would like. While waiting, he tried to learn more about this “Aunt Karen.”
“How long have you known her?”
“Since we got to House of Smiles,” Mason said. “But she wasn’t there at first. First there was Aunt Patricia, then she left and Aunt Karen came. She was different.”
“Different how?”
“She used to cry when she looked at us,” Logan said softly. “And she always talked about how our dad was going to come get us one day.”
“She knew a lot about you,” Mason added. “She knew you like your coffee black, and that you have a scar on your knee.”
Ethan nearly choked. How did this woman know such personal details? The scar on his knee was from a childhood bike accident. Very few people knew that.
“What else did she say about me?”