Claire smiled, sad and warm at once. “She always talked about you, you know. She said you thanked her like she was a person. But she worried about you, too. She said you were the loneliest little boy she’d ever met.”
My chest tightened.
Flashes came: Martha’s hands smoothing my hair, her quiet humming as she ironed, slipping me a chocolate button or a cookie behind my mother’s back.
“All the warmth I had as a kid was from someone my parents threw away.”
“She said you were the loneliest little boy she’d ever met.”
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Claire squeezed my hand. “Why do you think I said ‘yes’ to your offer, Adam? It wasn’t just the money. I almost said no at first,” Claire said quietly. “But when I told my mom your name, she knew exactly who you were.”
I was stunned.
“That’s when she told me about the little boy who thanked her for the sandwiches.”
“You knew?”
“She told me about the little boy who thanked her for the sandwiches. The one who shivered at the edge of the pool and tried so hard not to cry.”
“You lied to me.”
“Why do you think I said ‘yes’ to your offer, Adam?”
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“I lied because she deserves to be seen. And because I needed to know whether that little boy was still in there.”
I stared down, guilt burning through me. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
Claire met my eyes. “I had to know. Are you your father’s son, or your own man?”
I put my face in my hands. We sat in silence, letting the truth settle.
***
The next morning, I called my parents. “We need to talk.”
“Fine,” my mother said. “The restaurant at the country club. One hour, Adam. Don’t be late.”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
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At the restaurant, my mother looked me up and down. “Isn’t it early to be showing off your wife?”
Claire slid the faded photo across the table. “Do you remember her, Diana?”
Diana glanced at the photo and gave a thin smile.
“You really thought I didn’t recognize her at the wedding?”
“My mother never recovered from what you did,” Claire said.
My mother looked at me. “Did you honestly believe your father and I wouldn’t notice who you married? You married the help’s daughter. But a deal’s a deal, Adam.”
Claire didn’t flinch. “No. He married the daughter of the woman you blamed because it was easier than admitting you were wrong.”
“You married the help’s daughter.”
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