I wouldn’t doubt it.
Shit. I should have called first.
The door swung open, and my heart dropped at the sight of the tall woman with sleek dark hair. Sparkling deep gray eyes fell upon me, and the smile on her lips slipped just a notch. Her familiar face glowed in the light of the foyer.
I couldn’t help but gape. I had thought about this moment for weeks. What I would say. What she would look like. I could see myself in her features. The same skin coloring. The same dark, glossy hair. And the same slim nose.
Whereas Angie had a natural sex appeal, Mrs. Edwards was stylish in a classic way born from wealth and an upbringing you couldn’t fake.
She was beautiful.
And I wanted to hug her.
The air in my lungs halted. I hadn’t expected his parents to be home, let alone to come face-to-face with my birth mother.
Suddenly tongue-tied, I stood in the rain looking homeless, like a stray kitten that had wandered up to the front porch.
“Can I help you?” she asked, her tone gentle and a bit confused. When I didn’t answer right away, the smile faded completely from her lips, and her eyes grew concerned. “Are you alright? Do you need help?”
My throat clogged with emotion, and feelings surged out of nowhere, catching me off guard.Shit. I am going to cry.Quickly, before I made a fool of myself, I blurted out, “Is Grayson here?” My voice trembling. The rain blended with my tears, hiding them, but then again, perhaps I wasn’t fooling anyone.
Mrs. Edwards’s grey eyes softened. I must have looked pathetic. “Grayson!” she hollered, angling her body slightly to the side so her voice projected through the house. “Come in, please. You must be freezing.” She ushered me inside with a wave of her hand.
Some of my brain returned. “I’m a mess. I wouldn’t want to ruin your floors.”
“Nonsense. Come in,” she insisted.
Crap.Perhaps I should turn and run? This wasn’t how I pictured meeting my birth mom for the first time.
But my feet had a different idea as they stepped over the threshold into the warm and cozy foyer. Something about her presence changed the vibe of the house. It was cheerier and homier.
Flipping down my hood, I attempted to fix my wet hair and knew the second Mrs. Edwards got her first real look at me. An audible gasp rang over the room, and I watched a flare of recognition washed over her. A manicured hand flew to her heart, eyes brimming in confusion. “Kenna?” She blinked and realized that she must have made a mistake. “Sorry, you just look so much like my—”
“Josie?” a deep voice interrupted.
My gaze went to Grayson as he descended the stairs.
His eyes swept over me, his mouth turning down into a serious frown. “Josie, are you okay? What happened?” He came to stand beside his shocked mother, whose gaze still raked over every inch of my face.
My shoulders heaved, a sob bubbling out of my lips. I was a fucking mess. This was all too much. I didn’t know what to do. Without saying a word, I walked right into his arms, which came instinctually around me. I buried my face into the familiar scent of his shirt.
“Did he hurt you?” Grayson demanded, the muscles in his arms tightening.
I shook my head, still unable to form words. I wanted to hide in Grayson’s arms, never lift my head again, not until I felt strong.
But then I remembered we weren’t alone.
“Grayson, what is going on?” Mrs. Edwards asked.
He kept an arm around me, probably because he thought I would crumble to the ground if he left me go. He wasn’t far off. “Mom, this is Josie.”
I sniffled, lifting my tear-streaked face. Was he going to tell her who I was? I didn’t know if my heart could take it. I’d dreamed of this moment, but as it stared me in the face, I wasn’t prepared.
“She’s a friend from school,” he explained.
My chest exhaled, even as a ribbon of disappointment curled within me. I wanted to be done with the lies, but I needed a day to collect myself and Grayson somehow sensed that. He gave my arm a gentle squeeze.
She shook her head as if to clear the confusion. “Forgive me. I don’t meant to stare. It’s just you look so much like my daughter. The resemblance is uncanny. You took me by surprise.”