page58 (2/2)

“Did you leave a e?”

“Uaze

“How are they supposed to know to call, if you didn’t leave a e?”

“They’ll see a missed call and my number”

He didn’t say a word Instead he shook his head

“Why are you shaking your head? At least I tried It’s more than they’ve done”

She did have a point “That’s true Maybe they’re traveling Or out of cell reception”

“My parents don’t travel They love their little corner of the world”

“When did you call?”

“This afternoon, before I left the office”

That would explain why she’d repeatedly checked her phone during the evening He had started to think that he had been boring her

Xander squeezed her hand “Give it time They’ll call”

“Maybe” But she didn’t sound convinced

He knehat it was like to have your family let you down—except his sister Stasia had always been there for him, even when he didn’t want her to be These days she seemed to think he needed to settle down and start a fa a family with Lea

“You have to understand,” Lea said, drawing his full attention, “my relationship with them is quite strained Mydecisions for e, I didn’t even know about all the schools that had accepted me until it was too late But the final strahen she kept my extended family from me Do you even knohat that felt like?”

“I have some idea” His adoptive parents had never kept it a secret that he was adopted When he was young, his mother would say he was the child they chose—the child of their hearts That reassurance had faded away after his little sister ca