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Shanna squeezed her hand "I’lad you’re able to accept them"

Caitlyn took a deep breath to steady her nerves so she could pose the question she’d wanted to ask since she was nine years old "Why did you leave all those years ago?"

Shanna gazed into the nursery with a faraway look in her eyes "I didn’t want to go Dad said I needed soe, but I found out later that it wasn’t exactly true"

"He told me it was your idea, that you wanted to leave"

Shanna shifted in her chair to face her "I didn’t want to go I was miserable without you, and I couldn’t understand why you never responded to my letters"

Caitlyn’s throat constricted "You wrote to ot my letters, did you?"

"No" Caitlyn shook her head "And you never got mine" Tears threatened to escape All those years of pain and loneliness and now she kneho had caused it - her own father "Why did he liht II felt like I’d been kicked out of the family"

"I’m so sorry" A tear ran down Caitlyn’s cheek She felt a twinge of guilt that she’d doubted her sister She’d been selfish, too, only considering her own pain, and never i what it had been like for Shanna

"A few years back when Dad found uess I did do so psychic power froth Whenever he tried to control me, I would erect a psychic barrier that he couldn’t penetrate"

"Dad was trying to control you?"

Shanna hesitated, frowning at the carpet "Did you ever wonder how Mo, she was steady as a rock No eed "That’s just the way she is"

"Like she’s muffled in a cocoon of blankets? Cait,to remember, but she wasn’t always like that When I was little, she was full of laughter and always had a hug for everyone"

"Mos She hated living abroad and was always begging Dad to bring us back to the States"

Caitlyn frowned "I don’t remember that"

"You were just a baby And then, all of a sudden she changed She becarimaced "Dad’s control"

Caitlyn’s heart lurched "What exactly are you saying?"

"Dad has been using his psychic power to control Moood"

"No," Caitlyn whispered

"I’m afraid so And when he discovered he couldn’t control me, he orried that I’d mess up his plans"

"That’s why he sent you away?"

Shanna nodded "I know it sounds terrible Well, it is terrible, but it’s the truth He admitted it to hed "I think there may be more to the story I’ve asked Mom, and she doesn’t have any memory of the summer before I left"

"You think Dad wiped it?"

"Yes I don’t knohy"

Caitlyn rubbed her brow This orse than she’d ever iht back to all the times her mom had reacted - or rather, not reacted - to the norer boiled up in her It was bad enough that Dad had separated her from her sister, but how dare he turn their mother into a robot!

She jumped to her feet and paced across the floor More tears welled up in her eyes It wasn’t every day that you found out your dad was an utter asshole Part of her didn’t want to believe it But she’d always known he was a control freak And deep inside, she’d also known that so with Mom It had been impossible to connect with her on an emotional level

That hy Shanna’s departure had devastated Caitlyn so much She’d depended on her sister for love and companionship

And Dad had purposely sent Shanna away Tears strearily brushed them aside "I can’t believe you still talk to Dad Or even allow hier I felt it, too But I’ve had a few years to adjust I understand now that I have to involve Dad with our lives so he can see how good the Vaet the to look at her nephew and niece They were so beautiful and innocent "You have to protect them, too"

"Yes It’s better for Dad to feel attached to them"

Caitlyn turned to face her sister "Do you know if he was controlling me or Dylan?"

"I don’t think so Dylan was always busy with his sports, so he was hardly ever hoer to please I don’t think Dad ever needed to use ave him trouble"

Caitlyn winced "I’m so sorry"

Shanna waved a dismissive hand as she stood "It’s not your fault Let’s put it all behind us, okay?"

"How can I? I suffered for years, feeling lonesoht to separate us"

"He couldn’t control ht I’d be a bad influence on you" Shanna snorted "He still thinks I’ether now That’s what really counts"

Caitlyn rushed to her sister and hugged her "I’ht, that you found new friends, and you have such beautiful children"

Shanna smiled and wiped her sister’s cheeks "No ht"

Caitlyn nodded, although she still felt shaky inside The last two nights had completely turned her world topsy-turvy Creatures who should belike the real et away froo back to the townhouse now" She needed a long hot bath and a good night’s sleep

"Okay," Shanna said "Maybe we can cos," a woman with an Eastern European accent said from the nursery

"Radinka!" Tino shouted "Look atCaitlyn with her "Hi, Radinka Remember my sister?"

"Yes, of course" Radinka extended a hand "We’re so happy to have you join us"

"Thank you" Caitlyn shook hands with the older woo