Page 277 of Fame & Chaos

The television’s on.

Neither of us has paid much attention to it.

Indi is tucked against my side, the way she always is, and we’re talking about where we want to buy our house when my phone starts ringing, so I pull it out and check the name on the screen. “It’s Dad.”

Indi nods and pretends to zip her lips shut.

I smile before answering, “Hey, Dad.”

“Hey, son. How’re you recovering from the jet lag and exhaustion?”

I laugh. “I’ve got no idea. I don’t even know what day it is, let alone what time.”

“Yeah, it’s the worst.” His tone shifts. “Listen, I’ve got some news, and it’s pretty big.”

I sit up a little straighter.

Indi notices immediately and watches me closely.

“Oh yeah? What’s up?”

“Colt called me. He’s pretty worked up. A woman turned up on their doorstep this morning—”

“Oh God,” I mutter.

“No, nothing like that,” Dad says quickly, and I let out the breath I’d been holding. “She’s claiming to be Annie’s birth mother.”

My jaw drops.

“Holy shit… really?” Out of the corner of my eye, I see Indi’s expression fill with concern.

“Yeah. Just… be prepared. We don’t know what’s going to happen, and knowing Annie, this could really knock her around.”

I rake a hand through my hair. “Yeah… I know what you mean.” My mind immediately jumps to Annie. “I’ll head over and see them as soon as I can. Do you know how she’s doing?”

Dad sighs. “I don’t think she’s coping too well, going by what Colt said. Right now, all we can do is be there for her.”

“Yeah. Of course.”

Disbelief still swirls through me.

After all these years…

Why now?

“All right, I’d better let you go,” Dad says. “I just wanted you to hear it from me first.”

“Appreciate it, Dad.”

“No worries.” He ends the call before I can say anything else.

I stare at the dark screen in my hand for a moment.

“What’s going on?” Indi asks quietly.

I look over at her with my brows creased. “Annie’s birth mother showed up.”

Her eyes widen, her mouth falling open. “Oh… wow.”