Jim and I spent the following day cleaning the house and conditioning the garden. The storm left us without a network. We couldn't call or send a text. I worried about my brother, and although I knew Sky wouldn't call, I couldn't help wondering what she would think if she did.

The meeting with my grandmother was another reason for my concern. As we were finishing cleaning the porch, Jim cast a glance at me, his eyebrows raised.

"Nervous?"

I rested the broom against the wooden column and nodded.

"Can I give you the advice you didn't ask for?"

I chuckled. "Go on."

Jim nodded. "You know Kennedy's story, right? Shitty parents, so damn much heartache those fuckers caused. But despite that, he has people who love him. And you have your little brother and Blondie. You're not alone, and you're not gonna lose anything, but you might gain a grandmother. My family is united, and we have each other's backs. It's nice, Liam. You told me your mom moved to France and never looked back, and I'm sure there were reasons, but you need to hear what the woman has to say, even if it's to close the door in her face when she's done talking."

"I know, Jim. Thanks for this and everything else. I wouldn't have managed without you."

"It was my pleasure." O'Brien winked at me. "You can thank me by having a drink together when you get your Blondie back."

"Count on it."

I slapped the guy's back, and he hugged me before picking up the cleaning supplies, ready to go to his house.

"Good luck," Jim said over his shoulder.

"I'll need it," I replied, waving at him.

Jim was going back to the city before returning to the house with his girl. I knew I wouldn't see him. My grandmother would stop by the house in an hour, and I would drive to get Sky first thing in the morning the following day. Oddly, I wished O'Brien stayed here. That way, I would have someone to talk to after my grandmother left.

It was impossible. Jim drove away half an hour later, and I started to pace the length of the living room, waiting for the woman who gave birth to my mother.

I only knew that her name was Faith. Tom told me the time she would visit, and here I was, anxious without knowing what to expect.

A Ford appeared in front of the fence at seven p.m. I walked down the driveway and stood rooted to the spot, watching a thin woman unlock the driver's door and get out of the vehicle.

Our eyes met. She brought her hands to her mouth and broke into tears. I must have reminded her of my mom. She was her vivid image, too.

I opened the gate and made a step forward. Faith shifted on her feet as if she was contemplating whether to hug me or not. In the end, she didn't.

"Liam," she said, wiping the tears off her cheeks and smiling slightly.

"That's right."

The awkwardness permeated the air around us, and someone had to break it. I decided to be the one who did it.

"Would you like a cup of tea or coffee?" I asked.

"Yes, thank you. I made you a pie. I didn't know if you had anything to eat. The stores are far, and the storm was awful."

"I was lucky. A friend was with me, so it was okay."

I led Faith into the house and thanked her for the pie, accepting it from her hands.

She was fidgeting with a thin bracelet on her wrist the entire time it took me to put the kettle on and get two cups and some platters from the cupboard. Once the water boiled, I made some tea I had thanks to Jim and sat at the table across from my grandmother.

"This house belonged to my mother," Faith said. "I'm going to tell you the whole story."

I nodded, curling my hands around the cup. It burned, but I didn't even flinch, staring at Faith.

"Livvy was..." Faith sniffled and said, "Livvy was an excellent dancer. I knew she would go far. I was proud. My daughter was my ray of sunshine in the hell I called home."

My grandmother didn't look at me and went on speaking, staring into her mug.

"Charles and I got married young and had Livvy shortly after. I got married because I was pregnant. I thought I loved him. Charles was handsome and smart and came from one of the wealthiest families in the area. He treated me well until Livvy turned two.

"Then, the beating started, and it was as if I lived with a different person. He would kiss me in front of others and beat me behind closed doors. It was for various reasons.

"Once because it took me too long to get his breakfast ready, another time it was because his coffee had too much sugar in it. I am not going to tell you about all of them.

"He never did it in front of Livvy, and I hoped she would never see that. I couldn't leave him because I had nothing. No job, no studies. No bank account and no documents because he took them away from me and locked all my belongings in his safe.

"I tried to escape once and took Livvy with me. He found us. That was the first time I spent the night locked in the basement, but it wasn't the last. He said he would take my daughter away from me if I opened my mouth, and I knew he could do it. His family owned half of the town and was respected. I was a nobody.

"My mom had suspicions, but they were only that because Charles made sure she wasn't welcome in our house. My mother never forgave me for choosing him over her, and I was too scared and annihilated to tell her the true story.

"Livvy grew up and started to dance professionally.  She began to travel and met your dad on tour in France. She told us about him when she came back home. She was only nineteen at that time, young and talented.

"Charles did something he'd never done until the evening Livvy told us she was going to move abroad — he hit her. And I knew that once he started, he would never stop.

"He said that he would stop giving her money if she went through with her crazy idea. Livvy broke into sobs and ran to her room.

"She was gone in the morning, and so were her things. She left me a letter saying that she loved me but had to choose her happiness, and staying in this country far from your dad wasn't it.

"My mom was the one to give her money to travel, but I didn't know anything until she was gone. My mother and I stopped talking thanks to Charles.

"After Livvy left, he locked me in the basement for a week. And instead of fighting, I accepted my fate. My daughter was gone, and I had nothing to live for. I spent years locked in our mansion, afraid to be seen and heard. I didn't have friends, and my mother was my only family. I should have run away, but instead, I stayed.

"My mom passed away when you were six. I didn't have the keys to this house. Charles expected she would leave it to me, but she didn't. 

"The attorney told us that the person this house belonged to lived in France, and I assumed it was my daughter.

"I expected her to come back and take possession of her inheritance, but she never did. She never got in touch, and I had no idea where she was.

"Charles said she'd regret it if she came back. And his threats were never empty. He only stopped beating me when he got ill two years ago. I prayed for him to die because then I would be able to find Livvy. His parents were no longer alive, and I would have money. I would be free.

"As soon as he passed away, I drove here and asked the attorney about the person this house belonged to. He had contact information, and I called them. That's how I knew my daughter was no longer alive.

"I told the attorney that, and the man said it wasn't Livvy's name in the will. My mother didn't allow anyone to see the document, but I begged him, and he finally said that my grandson Liam would take possession of the property once he turned twenty-one. My grandson I have never met and knew nothing about.

"I was told you were notified about the inheritance, so I waited for you to come here. The attorney had a stroke, and his son took over his business. As soon as he called you, he called me too.

"I would have gone to France, Liam. Even if you didn't travel here, I would go there. I need you to know that.

"And I want to apologize for all these years. I wish I knew I had a grandson."

Faith was crying. I was trying to process what she told me. And then, I realized she might not know about Tim.

"Grandsons," I said.

"What?"

"You have two grandsons. I have a little brother, Tim."

Faith's tears were full-on sobs now. I got up and walked up to her. Hesitantly, I drew my arms around her thin frame, and she returned the hug, gripping me tightly and soaking my shirt with tears.

"Mom never called you?" I whispered.

"No," said Faith. "But when Tom, the young attorney, agreed to show me this house, I saw pictures of you. I don't know if my mother kept any letters, but it was clear she and Livvy stayed in touch right until she died. They adored each other."

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

I could be selfish and blame Faith for what happened, but I thought about Sky. I thought about her ex and what he did, and about the fact that it took Sky lots of courage to report him. What Sky went through lasted a year. For Faith, it was all her life.

"Will you be able to forgive me?" Faith asked.

"I have nothing to forgive," I said quietly. It was true.

My mom and dad were no longer alive. Whatever happened in the past couldn't be remedied. And I wanted to give the woman who had my mom's eyes a chance. If she proved to be a bad person, I had no obligation to keep in touch. But the whole situation and not knowing what happened wasn't my grandmother's fault. Nobody could tell me what went through my mom's head and why she never talked to her mother again. I wouldn't get answers about the past, and for once, I wanted to look forward to my future instead.

Faith and I ate the pie and drank cold tea. I insisted she stayed and spent the night in the house. It was too late to drive.

We spent the night talking about my parents, my brother, and my life in Paris.

We both cried, remembering my mom. And then, we found the letters Mom sent to her grandmother.

I let Faith read them, and then did the same. There were albums with more pictures of my mom and her family. I flipped through the pages. It felt as if I was getting to know my mom all over again.

Faith told me lots of stories, and I did the same, showing her pictures and videos of Tim. We agreed that she would travel to France to meet him in September.

I also told her about Sky. I promised Faith Sky and I would spend time with her.

In the morning, my grandmother and I drove to a cafe and had breakfast together. She hugged me tightly and kissed my cheek when we said goodbye. I wondered if she would ever be able to hug me without crying. And I realized that I liked her. Her similarity with my mom wasn't only physical. She seemed just as kind and understanding, and I couldn't ask for more.

***

The sign with the name of Sky's town on it filled me with both hope and apprehension. My palms turned sweaty, and I struggled to breathe normally while navigating through the streets in search of the house I needed.

When I found it, I parked the car in the driveway and strolled to the porch, pressing the doorbell as soon as I climbed the wooden steps.

The woman who opened the door was as blond as Sky and had eyes similar to hers.

"Liam!" She gasped.

I blushed like a fool, realizing I didn't know Sky's mom's name.

"I'm Brenda, Sky's mom."

Relieved, I shook her hand.

"Come in, don't stand in the doorway," said Brenda. "Luke, look who's here!"

The man who appeared in the hallway was as tall as me. He looked young and athletic, and I remembered that he liked basketball. Hopefully, having something in common would help me win him over.

"Liam," I said, extending my hand for a handshake.

Luke hugged me instead, and then put his hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eye. "Thank you."

I must have seemed puzzled to Sky's dad because he said, "For being the real man and for being there for my daughter."

"It's nothing. I love her. It's my job to be by her side. And I'm sorry for being so impatient, but where is Sky?"

Brenda smiled. "Let's have a cup of coffee. Sky went to take some pictures. She will be home soon."

We sat at the kitchen table. Sky's parents asked me a million questions about my brother, me, and our life in Paris.

And then, in the middle of answering yet another question of theirs, I heard the front door open, and my heartbeat became painfully slow.

I rose to my feet and waited until my girl appeared in the kitchen doorway.

"Liam!"

Sky paused at the threshold and pressed her palm to her mouth as if she didn't believe it was really me.

"Hey, sweetheart," I whispered, struggling to keep my voice from shaking.

We moved toward each other at the same time. I wrapped Sky in my arms and clutched her to my chest, kissing the top of her head when I heard her cry.

It didn't matter what country I was in. With her in my arms, I had never felt more at home.