Later, I folded Charlotte’s letter and placed it on the table.
Mia wiped her tears. “I thought you’d be more shocked.”
“I am,” I said. “But I don’t feel lost.”
That surprised them.
Nelly asked, “You’re not upset?”
“No. I’ve spent enough time being upset about things I didn’t understand.”
We sat together at the kitchen table.
“At the end of the day,” I said, “nothing important has changed.”
They looked at me, confused.
“I raised nine daughters because I wanted to—not because I had to. Finding out one of you is biologically mine doesn’t change anything. It just explains why it always felt right.”
