“But Aunt Karen was sure,” Mason sobbed. “She said you just didn’t know it yet because you had a lot of things to fix first.”
Ethan felt like a monster for causing their pain.
“Listen, I’m not going to abandon you,” he said softly, pulling them both into a hug. “We’re going to figure this out together, okay?”
After lunch, they headed to the shelter in Brooklyn. On the way, Sarah called with information. The place was legitimate, but someone named Karen had called the office multiple times over the past months asking if Ethan knew about two twin boys. His assistant had turned her away, following his long-standing rule against personal inquiries.
When they arrived at the yellow house, the twins grew nervous. A woman in her forties opened the door — Aunt Patricia. She looked shocked to see the boys.
“Karen doesn’t work here anymore,” she explained carefully once they were inside. “She was let go two weeks ago.”