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It was clear the love my father felt for my mother, as well as the love Gabriel felt for her. If she was able to return the affection of her new boyfriend, I didn't know. I never allowed myself to look in her direction for a long time, fearing that she might try some kind of forced approach. I think part of me was twisted by the fear of bowing to the charm that had been passed by our blood. My grandmother and Lizzie were the only people who received my full attention on that trip, and even if that was my last night on French soil, there was still reluct in every cell of my body.

I didn't want to forgive years of negligence for a short lapse of attention, but that sensitive part that surfaced in me... That part that had been broken up during my meeting with Gary Swan, was coming together for the help of a man who became a kind of virtual friend.

When a nightmare made me want to jump out of the window, I found a message on my cell phone. Usually, a short text about your day or some other