Chapter 7

Simon had other things to deal with, so he dropped me off at the house and left. It had been more than 20 years since the house had last been occupied, so layers of dust had settled inside. Standing in the doorway, I stared at the unfamiliar home, my eyes welling with tears. Trembling, I opened the envelope to find the letter my father had written. He had already chosen a name for me before I had been born—Phoebe Sawyer. Phoebe was my mother's name. He had wanted to name me after her. When I read this, I couldn't hold back anymore. Tears streamed down my face, dripping onto the yellowed paper. I had always believed that I had been abandoned at the orphanage. But now I knew—I wasn't unwanted. My parents had loved me. Holding the letter, I sobbed uncontrollably at the doorway of what should have been my childhood home. It took me a long time before I managed to compose myself again. Then, I cleaned up the house and made a simple meal for myself. The next morning, I gathered my