“I’d like to see the documents,” Paige said.

“And then I’ll decide whether to contact the agency.”

That evening she read everything at the dining table.

She underlined dates, made a list of questions, and refused our offers to guide her toward a particular conclusion.

At midnight she found me washing a cup that was already clean.

“Mom, I think I want to know,” she said.

“Not because I’m missing something with you and Dad.

Because I’d like to know where my first chapter began.”