Page 56 of Cass

I look at Darian and bite my lip. “So I shouldn’t call her Mom right away?”

“Cassandra, you’re not going to make this easy, are you?

“There’s no fun in that, Jackson.”

“I’m actually starting to realize how perfect you and Trevor are for one another.” That makes me smile.

Darian shakes her head. “We’ll see you in an hour or so. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

She ends the call and smiles at me. “Today is one for the books, Cass.”

I nod. “It certainly is.”

We arrive at my office building. I turn on all the lights since no one is here. I tell Darian to wait in my office, while I walk into Beth’s. For the first time, I look at the pictures on her desk. I see her little boy. I guess he does resemble my father.

She walks in with her son as I’m standing there holding the frame. I look at her. “He has Dad’s eyes. So do you.”

Her eyes widen. She looks around. I’m not sure what she’s expecting to see.

“What’s his name?” She’s quiet. “What’s my nephew’s name, Beth?”

“It’s Lucas. I call him Luke.”

“After Dad?” She nods.

I hit the intercom to my office. “Darian, can you come here for a moment? Make a left out of my office and go down five doors. We’re on the right-hand side of the hallway.”

She shouts back, “I’m coming.”

She appears a few seconds later. “Can you please take Luke to see the fish tanks in the lobby?”

I turn to Beth. “He’ll be fine with her.” Beth nods.

“Sure.” Her eyes bounce between Beth and me. We really do look alike. Her hair is longer, and I’m much taller, but it’s hard to miss the resemblance now. I can’t believe I never noticed it before.

After Darian and Luke leave, I turn back to Beth. “Was this a game to you? Help me understand why you did this. Why did you lie to weasel your way into my life? What do you want from me, Beth?”

She has tears in her eyes. For some reason, that surprises me. “Of course, it wasn’t a game. I’ve wanted to meet you my whole life. I barely remember you. I remember Dad talking about how great you were all the time, but I didn’t remember you. My mother told me you wanted nothing to do with us. If I told you who I was, you wouldn’t have seen me.” She’s probably right.

“I wanted to get to know my sister. I wanted you to get to know me. I was hoping maybe you’d like me before I told you the truth. I wanted to become your friend before I said anything.”

We’re both silent for a few moments. She takes a long breath. “You’re my only family, Cassandra. My mother is dying. When she’s gone, it will just be Luke and me. It’s a very lonely feeling. I had to take my shot to potentially have you in my life. In my son’s life.”

“I know she’s dying. I visited with her today. I’m sorry for that. I asked her where my sister Lizzie lived. She told me Lizzie no longer goes by Lizzie. She goes by Beth.”

She scrunches up her nose. “Ugh, I hated Lizzie. Don’t say that name. It’s like a reptile.”

I can’t help but smile. “That’s true. Beth is better.”

I put the photo down. “Imagine my surprise when she told me Beth is a lawyer at this very firm.”

“I’m sorry, Cassandra. I didn’t mean for you to find out this way. I didn’t mean to deceive you. I always planned to tell you at some point. I just want what I’ve always wanted. To have my sister in my life. Especially now that I’m going to be alone.” She sits down in one of her office chairs.

She gives me a resigned smile. “You know, it almost killed me when you talked about how close you are with your nieces. I know they’re pretty close to my age. I always kind of assumed you were closed off and self-centered, and that’s why you didn’t want me in your life. But that’s not how you are at all. You’re just the opposite. You’re loving, kind, and selfless. I watched you drop everything in your life to be there for your niece when she was in the hospital.”

She smiles at me. “You were even incredibly welcoming to me when you thought I was just another woman trying to make it as an M&A attorney.

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