Page 33 of Broken Secrets

Me: You quit cheer?

Emma: Yeah, I’m more into theater now. He was disappointed at first but he supports it. He came to my play last month and brought flowers.

Of course he did. Of course Jeremy shows up for Emma’s theater performances and brings flowers. Of course he’s the kind of dad who adapts when his daughter’s interests change.

Me: That’s really nice. I’m still playing. Senior year and hoping for a scholarship.

Emma: Dad mentioned that! He said you’re really good. Like, college-level good.

Me: He said that?

Emma: Yes.

Emma: Can I ask you something?

Me: Of course.

Emma: What’s your mom like? I mean, I know what happened between her and Dad, but what’s she like as a mom?

The question catches me off guard. What is my om like? How do I explain her, to the daughter of the woman she considers her worst enemy?

Me: She’s protective. Really protective. Sometimes too protective. She loves me a lot, but she’s spent my whole life trying to shelter me from anything that might hurt me.

Emma: Including Dad?

Me: Yeah. Including him.

Emma: Do you hate her? My mom, I mean?

Me: I don’t know her well enough to hate her. I’m angry about the situation, but not at you or her specifically. It’s just… complicated.

Emma: She feels really guilty about it. About everything. She and Dad went to counseling for years to work through it.

Me: They’re still together?

Emma: No. They divorced when I was little. It’s been hectic, but they try to keep me out of their drama.

Me: Does he ever talk about wanting to see me? Or meet me?

Emma: All the time. Especially lately. He’s been thinking about reaching out now that you’re eighteen and can make your own decisions.

Me: Really? This is a lot to process.

Emma: I know. I’m sorry if this is overwhelming. I just… I’ve wanted a sister my whole life, and when I found out about you, I couldn’t stop thinking about what you might be like. I’m an only child, and I always felt like something was missing. Then I found out I had this whole sister living across the country who I’d never met.

Emma: Maybe we can find out?

Me: I’d like that.

The irony isn’t lost on me. I’ve spent my life feeling like half a person because I didn’t know my father’s side of the family, while Emma spent hers feeling incomplete because she didn’t know about me. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have a sibling.

Emma: Me too. Can I ask you another question?

Me: Sure.

Emma: Would you ever want to video chat? Or maybe… I know this is crazy, but we’re thinking about visiting California for spring break. If you wanted to meet in person…

Meet in person. The idea terrifies and excites me in equal measure. Emma wants to meet me. More than that, Jeremy might want to meet me too.