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"I was fortunate to have supportive parents," she explained "They never pressuredmy baby’s future Mom and Dad backed me one hundred percent"

The doorbell chi at the et it," Roy said He was closest to the front door

Gloria’s eyes widened when Roy let her into the apart his hand "I’asp behind hiave hiure it out"

Roy hugged her, nearly choking on emotion Then he turned to face his fahter"

Corrie rushed forward, tears flowing down her face, and threw her arms around Gloria "Oh, baby," she murmured "My baby"

"Gloria," Linnette said in a shocked voice "You? It’s you?"

Gloria, eeping now, nodded "You can’t iine how excited I hen I discovered you were hbor It seemed like fate when you moved in practically next door"

"I felt a bond with you fro," Linnette told her

Gloria wiped the tears from her cheeks "Now you knohy"

"How did you find us?" Corrie asked

"Through randmother Apparently she knew your nant, she approached your hter and son-in-law It was a private adoption"

"I should’ve known that," Corrie whispered, "but I was so lost in my own pain I didn’t pay ripped it hard

"My , "not even in her journals Perhaps she was afraid I’d read them one day--which I did"

"What made you come and look for us?" Mack wanted to know

Gloria looked at hi "My parents were killed five years ago in a small-plane accident Dad loved to fly, and the three of us had scheduled a day trip to Fresno, where Dad was hoping to buy property I had to cancel at the last ain" Fresh tears glea relative, helpedher story "Losing her daughter devastated Gran When she knew she was dying, she told me I had another family and that I should look the alone" There was another pause "She died a week after telling h But why did you address the postcards to ry I saw ned off on the adoption My grandmother said you weren’t in the picture I felt you’d abandoned my mother, so I wanted you to wonder--and worry" She paused, sing hard "I don’t feel that way anyaze slid to Corrie "You love her and--your children I see that now I know I should’ve gone about this differently But once I started , I didn’t feel I could stop until you found me Do you understand what Iand I apologize for that"

Linnette stood and walked over to Gloria, placing both arrateful you found us," she breathed "You can’t iine how much I’ve alanted a sister Do you re her e to do it," Gloria said, facing Corrie "I figured you hadn’t wanted me, so I didn’t want you--which wasn’t true However, I wasn’t planning to intrude on your life But then I learned you’d s"

"It took me a while to work it all out," Roy said "Still, I--"

"Just a minute," Mack interrupted "Aren’t you in police work? Just the way Dad used to be?"

Gloria nodded

"Hey, Dad," Mack said "You finally got your wish One of us followed in your footsteps"

Roy smiled He had his family with him His whole family

Forty-Six

Grace stopped at the house on Rosewood Lane on her way ho Easter Little by little, she’d moved most of her possessions to Cliff’s house--clothes, books, iht his truck and they’d packed up the last of her things, except for the larger pieces of furniture He wanted her coested she not leave the house vacant ht that was unlikely, since there wasn’t much crime in Cedar Cove--but then she remembered that incident of arson in the park

Her husband--she wondered if she’d ever grow accustoht It was tih that would be The small house on Rosewood had been her ho it on the market a painful and difficult prospect But Grace was afraid that renting it out would be too much extra work for her and Cliff, and she didn’t want that