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Each line gave me a piece of my soul back. I had a birthday and a middle name. My parents were there, my birth weight and the hospital I was born in. I was the age we had guessed all those years before, we had hit it on the nose.

I really am twenty-two.

Tears created blurry glass bubbles over my eyes. Blinking them away, I held onto that piece of paper like it was made of solid gold.

“This is me, I have a real birth certificate.” My fingers pinched the thin paper, afraid to squeeze it any harder for fear it would crumble to dust and blow away.

Licking his fingers, the detective flipped through the folder. “There's an account for you at Fritz International Bank, it's under your birth name. Your parents assets were liquidated, and everything was put into an account that would go to you when you turned eighteen.” Slipping out another paper, he laid it down on the table.

Two hundred thousand dollars. . .

“Are you serious?” Flicking my eyes up and down, my jaw dropped into my chest. “This is mine?”

Shaking his head yes with a smile, his eyes glinted with happiness. “There's one last thing I need to tell you. You have one surviving grandmother, she lives down in Maryland and is very eager to see you again.”

“I have a grandmother?”

“Mm hm, and she has some more of your parents personal belongings. Pictures, clothes, maybe even some stuff that was yours.”

“This is insane. I'm shocked right now, I don't know what to say.”

“You don't have to say anything. This is your family, and you're still a part of them, regardless of how much time has gone by.” Smiling, Detective Jones crossed his arms over his chest. “Just do me a favor, go see her as soon as you can. She's been waiting far too long for you to come home.”

Sniffling, Birch passed me a tissue, and I wiped my nose. “Thank you for this. Thank you for not giving up on me.”

I had forced myself to think the worst; abandoned, left for dead in the woods, alone and lost.

I had thought no one from my past had loved me.

I had spent so many years hating people I didn't even know.

And now, now all I felt was love.