“Why didn’t you tell me when I married Colton?”

Frank looked ashamed.

“Because I thought a man’s history was his, not his son’s.

Harold’s connection to you seemed like an ugly coincidence.

I did not want to poison your marriage with suspicions I couldn’t prove.”

Neither of us spoke for a while.

“Uncle Frank,” I finally said, “was that a mistake?”

“Yes,” he answered without hesitation.