Page 90 of Buried Roots

Mysister?

I hit pause. My entire body tingles as I look at Trinity. My sister? I stare at her hazel eyes and see mine. I take in the natural strawberry highlights of Trinity’s blond hair, and I shake my head. It seems so obvious now, I wonder how I could’ve missed it. Emotion overwhelms me, joy filling more hollow spaces of my being. I have a sister—one I may not have known but already loved. I turn to Trinity. “You’re my sister?”

“Yup. Now I have three,” she says so simply, smiling—like we’re discussing the weather.

Owen studies Trinity, then scowls at Frankie. “Is this true?”

Frankie nods slowly, and Owen cuts in with, “So that’s why you wanted us to keep Trinity’s adoption a secret.” He looks at me. “Ma made us promise.”

Putting her hand on Trinity’s shoulder, Frankie’s voice is hoarse when she says, “Your ma was scared Blake was coming for her. So just after you were born and she made this video, she gave you to me to watch over you. It was just going to be for a few days.” Frankie shakes her head. “But he got to her, somehow, your daddy Nick too.” She looks at Owen. “We could never prove it, but when that cabin blew up, we knew it wasn’t a gas leak.” Frankie rubs her temple, her fingers trembling. “And I claimed Trinity as my own.” She looks at Trinity. “Blake was on your birth certificate because Annie and Blake were still married. That POS refused to sign the divorce papers, so I couldn’t adopt you because he’d be notified and take you. I got help from Daddy Nick’s colleague to get the needed documents and I raised you as my own.”

“Trinity,” I whisper, looking at Frankie. “That’s why you didn’t want to tell me. Because you were afraid I’d take her away. Or that I’d go to my biological father, and he’d find out about her.”

Frankie scowls. “I love this child like I birthed her myself, so if you’re planning on either of those things, you’ll have a helluva fight on your hands.”

“Frankie.” Tears stream down my face. “I’d never take Trinity away from her mother. And I certainly don’t want that horrible man to have her. Now that I’m here, we can all be together.”

“That’s what I want too, Willow.” Trinity says. “I love you, Ma.”

Frankie pulls Trinity tight. “You’re my child, you hear me?”

“I do, promise, cross my heart. But can we get back to the video?” Trinity presses play again.

A tear rolls down Annie’s cheek. “Willow, I wish you were here to meet your sister. You two would be the best of friends. Anyway, Bo knew Ed, so he knew Ed and Sharon would do an amazing job raising you. I heard about their car accident a few months back.” She cries harder. “All I ever wanted was for you to have a good life, and now you’ve lost your parents. Again. It’s unbearable for me to know that you’re alone at sixteen, but I can’t bring you back here right now. Blake’s trying to kill me, but he doesn’t know about little Trinity, thank god.” She leans into the computer. “Anyway, I love you. More than anything. I’m going to bring you home as soon as this is over. But I am always with you, Willow, okay? Always.”

It stops playing, and I touch the screen.She wanted to bring me home. She’s always with me.

Frankie’s face is exhausted, drained. “We thought Blake’s hire was going to bomb her apartment or car, which is why we took her to the safe house. But he was a step ahead of us.”

So many things are hitting my brain, it’s hard to process them all. “I can’t believe he got away with it all.”

“Me too.” Frankie is calmer when she says, “Willow, Bo wanted to leave you his property, hoping maybe you’d find the peace and comfort that it brought him. He hoped to give you back something after not being able to be there for you as a kid. He really loved you, and he protected his computer and all his information for you. All he and Lily ever wanted was for you to be safe and happy. Me too.”

Slowly, one by one, the realizations are creeping into my brain. I look at Trinity and croak out, “So you’re really my sister.” And maybe that’s why I’ve always felt this inexplicable closeness to her.

“Uh, huh. That’s why you can’t leave.” Tears streak Trinity’s face, sprinkled with freckles, just like mine.

Frankie is staring into the distance, contemplative. Finally, she says, “I did what I had to do, and I’d do it again.”

“I can’t believe any of this.” Owen puts the heel of his hand to his eye.

“Don’t worry, Owen.” Trinity pats his shoulder. “I still love you the same. But I love Willow too. And she needs me. She needs family.”

I manage a weak laugh through my tears. “I do.”

Frankie’s mouth curves. “We need her, too.”

Owen nods. “Yes, we do.”

“I love you, Frankie.” I pull her into a hug, even though I know she hates them, and she hugs me back. “And I forgive you. Thank you for all the sacrifices you made for me.”

Family is everything, but they’re not always those who share our blood.

“So, what are you gonna do now, Willow?” Trinity asks.

I hesitate, thinking about what I should say, what I could say. Then I realize none of it matters because I know what I have to say. “My life is here. My family is here. And my heart is here. That’s all I know right now, but I have that, so the rest will fall into place.”

“Sounds like you’re sure.” Frankie’s lips quirk up.

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