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“Ask himwhat, exactly? If he recognizes us? How would he? We don’t look like the women who…”

“What?” Abby asked when Quinn faded out.

“Was Harriet a nurse?”

“Yes, in World War II. She was a Marine. Why?”

“I went to nursing school,” Quinn reminded.

“Right! I forgot. Wow! And your mom’s middle name is Louise. If we keep digging, I’m guessing we’re going to find a lot more like that and the blackberry pie.”

“What does the pie have to do with any of this?”

“Just think for a minute. I’m sure it’ll hit you.”

And there it was, an image of her making a pie with someone who she knew was her mother, only it wasn’t Quinn’s mother. The house wasn’t Quinn’s house, either.

“Did I make them for you?”

“I think so, yeah,” Abby confirmed. “And Paul, too.”

“Abby?”

“Yeah?”

“Is he still… alive?”

“Do you want to find out?”

Quinn nodded. Something inside her was imploring her to find out if Harriet and Deb’s son was still alive. It felt like he wasn’t just the son of those two, though. He washerson, too, somehow, and Abby’s as well. It made no sense, yet it made perfect sense at the same time. Quinn hadn’t ever felt so connected to another person before, romantically or not. It was as if she and Abby were actually meant to be connected.

Abby turned back to the computer, and after she typed his name into the search bar, Quinn took Abby’s hand into her own, entwining their fingers, and there was that feeling, even stronger now.

CHAPTER 21

Abby looked down at their entwined fingers. It felt so new yet so unbelievably old at the same time and in the best way. She smiled at the feel of Quinn’s hand fitting perfectly in her own. Then, she realized that it was shaking.

“Quinn?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re nervous, too?”

“Yes,” Quinn admitted. “I feel like he’s mine.”

“Paul?”

“I can feel it. It’s like he’s a little boy sitting on the floor in front of a radio, and he’s our son. But that’s wrong, isn’t it?”

“Why?”

“Because he’s Deb’s son with John David, and I amnotHarriet.”

“If you’re not, and I’m not Deb, why does it feel like I’ve held your hand a million times before right now?”

“Do you believe it?”

“I… don’t know yet. I’m still trying to figure out if you and I just got dosed with some new drug a pharmaceutical company is testing out on our town, and we’re in some kind of coma or a drug-induced state, just imagining this whole thing.”