Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 74450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Noah shrugged. “No. Those doors are gone,” he repeated around a mouthful of food. “If it’s not a hotel key, then I’m not sure what it’s for. Maybe it was an accident.”
“Yeah… maybe.” Caspian picked with his chicken nuggets, then shoved the things aside. He didn’t have much of an appetite. He’d left Azure’s place and went straight home to go through the box and write notes in his notebook once again. The more he dug, the stranger things became. One of Mama’s earrings… a rock with a smiley face and eyes—perhaps he’d drawn on it. He wasn’t certain. “Noah, I put some information on social media this morning askin’ about anyone who knew my mama. Now, I have a pretty big following because of my podcast and articles. It’ll reach a lot of people but I don’t think it’ll amount to anything.”
“Then why’d you do it?”
“Why’d I do what?”
“Put somethin’ online that you didn’t think would amount to anything?”
“Because I want to be wrong while keeping my expectations low. Anyway, it was my girlfriend’s idea, actually. I wasn’t too keen on handling it that way, but she assured me the worst that could happen is nobody would respond.”
“I’d say that’s right. The worst that could happen is nobody write anything back to ya. I’ve had that happen before… I ask a question, ya know, about anything. Anything at all, and nobody types back. It kinda makes ya feel bad.”
Caspian crossed his arms. “You’re right, but part of life is taking risks. If we never even try, it is a definite no. I went on and did it anyway. I didn’t say I was looking for my father, per se, but that’s what, well, who I’m looking for. I just asked if anyone knew this woman back at such ’nd such a time… put Mama’s photo on there and told ’em I needed to talk to them. I mean, I’m sure it was clear I was looking for my father. I was just careful about the wording.” He felt tongue-tied, wondering for a fleeting moment if he should delete the post altogether. “I don’t really care about who my father is but at the same time, the curiosity is there. I figured since I’m back in Kentucky for a while, it wouldn’t hurt to put out any feelers.”
“Why don’t you care about who your father is?”
“Because I figure if he wanted to be in my life, he would have done it. I just want to know his name is all. I’m not interested in forging a relationship or anything like that.” Noah nodded in understanding. “I’m trying to figure out two things at one time. It’s a lot of work. I—”
“You wanna know if Auntie Cheyenne killed ’erself, and you wanna know who your daddy is.”
He smiled. His cheeks hurt as he forced the muscles to spread and stick. He didn’t feel like smiling. He didn’t feel like responding at all. He didn’t feel like having this discussion anymore, but it was too late. He was in the midst of it now.
“That’s right.”
“Mama said you’d do this.”
“Mama said I’d do what?”
“Can I have your chicken nuggets?” Noah pointed across the table at the crispy chunks of white meat.
“Uh, yeah. Here.” He opened up a fresh tub of dipping sauce and offered that, too. “Your mama said I’d do what?” he repeated as he finished gathering his food, including his order of fries, and placed it before his cousin.
Noah grabbed one of the nuggets, dipped it in the honey mustard sauce, and crammed it in his mouth.
“…She said you’d wanna know ’bout your dad. She told me that before she died. She said Aunt Cheyenne never told you.”
“You know your father’s name, even though he isn’t in the picture. I should know my father’s name, too.” Noah nodded in agreement. “Do you know my father’s name, Noah?” His cheeks reddened.
“Why would I know that but you not know?”
“No idea… stranger things have happened.”
Noah stuffed another fry in his mouth, then another, chewing loudly. “Mama didn’t know your daddy.”
“I never said she did, but I find it a little strange that Cheyenne and Angel were so close and nothin’ ever crossed her lips. Naturally a sister, a fraternal twin sister at that, would want to know who fathered her nephew. The question had to have been raised at one time or another.”
“She said her sister, Aunt Cheyenne, didn’t tell her who he was when she asked. Said it was better left alone. I told ya that before.”
“Yeah… ya did. Sometimes though, we forget things. Sometimes we think we don’t know something when we actually do.”
“Huh? I don’t think I understand.”
“Lies. I’m talkin’ about people holding secrets and telling lies, Noah.”
The man looked downright mortified. “I wouldn’t lie to ya, Caspian. I wouldn’t do such a thing.”