Page 78 of Surviving Slater

I dug it out of the pocket of my jeans.

It was Connor. Did he have some information on Slater?

I wiped my tears as I answered, "Hi."

"Why haven't you been answering your calls? This is the third time I've called you." His voice was terse. It meant the other missed calls were from someone else.

"Sorry, I've had a family thing I've been busy with," I said, hoping he would leave it at that.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his previous annoyance gone.

"Yes," I told him.

"What's going on, Jordan?" he asked. He was too perceptive. He didn't take anything at face value. To him, there was always more to the story than met the eye. I had to wonder if it was because of his parents' deaths or if it was just the way he was.

"A family member has unexpectedly passed." I said it without the grief a relative would feel.

There was a moment of silence.

"Please accept my condolences."

"Thanks."

"If there is anything you need, just call me."

"Did you find something?" I asked, wanting to change the subject as quickly as possible, afraid he would find it strange I wasn't grieving the way I should be.

"I just wanted to give you an update about Shannon," he said. Then I remembered I had forgotten to tell him she was Slater's dead sister.

I bit my tongue to stop myself from revealing what I had already found out on my own. Knowing she was dead wasn't enough; I needed to know how. I hoped finding out what had happened would allow me to understand why Slater carried the burden of it around with him.

His issues went beyond mourning the loss of a sibling. There was more to it than just that.

"What did you find out?" I asked.

"At the age of five, she went into foster care. It's a bit difficult getting into the records but I have a contact who owes me a favor."

Foster care. Slater's sister had been in foster care?

"Foster care?" I questioned.

There was a moment of silence.

"At the age of six, Slater Graves and his five-year-old sister, Shannon Graves, were removed from their parents due to abuse. They were split up and sent into foster care. Didn't Slater tell you any of this?"

"No," I mumbled. I had no idea any of this had happened to him. My heart ached for what he had gone through. A six-year-old boy, being all alone? It renewed my raw feelings from the events of the day.

"I will let you know when I find out more."

"Thanks, Connor," I said.

"Let me know if you need anything," he said before ending the call.

The shock of Slater's past settled over the numbness of my own issues.

I didn't know Slater had been put into foster care. What had happened to his real parents? What abuse had he endured to be taken away at the age of six? I couldn't imagine being that age and going through something like that.

His sister had died. When had that happened? Is that why he felt so responsible, because he hadn't been able to protect her?