Chapter 7 - Noah
Noah was thirteen.
That was the first thing we learned.
The second was that the Carters had raised him as their own.
The third nearly destroyed me.
They had never been told he was kidnapped.
They believed his birth mother had abandoned him.
I drove to Maine that night.
Daniel came with me.
So did Grace.
Sophie refused to stay behind.
“I want to meet my brother.”
I looked at her.
“You're sure?”
She nodded.
“I want him to know Daddy didn't forget him.”
Those words nearly broke me.
When we arrived at the Carter residence, the front door opened before we knocked.
Thomas Carter stood there.
He was older than his photographs.
Tired.
He looked at me.
Then at Sophie.
Then Caleb.
Finally, his eyes settled on me.
“You found us.”
“Yes.”
He sighed.
“Come inside.”
His wife was crying.
Noah stood at the staircase.
He looked at me.
I looked at him.
Neither of us moved.
He was thirteen.
A stranger.
My son.
“You're Evan.”
I nodded.
“Yes.”
“My parents told me you might come.”
“They did?”
He glanced at Thomas.
“They told me the truth yesterday.”
I swallowed.
“What truth?”
Noah looked at me.
“That I'm your son.”
Silence.
Sophie stepped forward.
“I'm Sophie.”
Noah smiled faintly.
“I know.”
“I'm your sister.”
“I know.”
Caleb held up Rabbit.
Noah laughed.
“What's that?”
“My rabbit.”
Noah smiled.
For the first time, the tension broke.
Then Noah looked at me.
“Why did you leave me?”
I couldn't breathe.
“I didn't.”
He frowned.
“Then why wasn't I with you?”
“Because someone stole you.”
“Who?”
I looked toward the door.
Vanessa was not there.
But her shadow was.
I said the truth.
“Someone I trusted.”
Noah looked down.
“Was it my mother?”
“No.”
“My father?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
I answered:
“Your stepmother.”
His face changed.
Then Thomas said something that made the entire room freeze.
“Evan…”
“What?”
“There is something else.”
He handed me an envelope.
Inside was a photograph.
My wife.
Holding two newborn babies.
On the back was a handwritten message.
If anything happens to me, protect both of them from the Whitaker family.
I looked at Thomas.
“Why would she write that?”
May you like
He whispered:
“Because she knew someone in your family wanted them dead.”
