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Instead of saying anything, I put ful look full of understanding and support Theo could count onWith just that look, I conveyed that

The quiet car ride gave me an opportunity to think about ma to me Always had been Since my mother had told me very little about him, I wondered if she knehere he was or if she’d had any contact with him in the last nineteen years It was such a touchy subject We never had an actual conversation about him

Theo thought I’d beinformation about htful, but my desire to know about theAt least, for noas

The trip to Tennessee was my first outside of California The Great Smoky Mountains stood majestically on the horizon We drove past the metropolitan cityscape of Knoxville to the small town of Maryville twenty miles south

The GPS led us to a dirt road between a thicket of trees that we followed for ten h the woods and finally exhaled in relief when a cute ranch style house appeared The dirt turned into gravel as we slowly drove up

Before we got out of the car, I grabbed Theo’s hand and squeezed He gave rateful s here for me”

I spotted a little boy peeking through the curtains in one of the s Suddenly, people began to streareat them, a tiny elderly woman hite curly hair smiled at us and waved

Theo walked right up to her with his hand extended in greeting The wo at about five feet tall, raised her ar With tears in her eyes, she cried, “I wish I would have known about you sooner”

Theo closed his eyes and burst into sobs in his grandmother’s ar a hand on his cheek, she said softly, “You look so much like Kelly”

The other familythe little boy I’d seen in the , said, “I’m Anthony, your uncle This is Bobby” The little boy s his face in his father’s neck

Anthony put his arm around Theo “We’re so happy to meet you”

Theo wiped the tears fro my hand, he said, “This is Mia My fiancé”

It felt anificant occasion

Other faan to introduce themselves to us Cousin Peter Aunt June Cousin Erin Cousins Oliver and Owen, twins Aunt Fiona

Theo’s grandot a feast waiting for you two!”