“There is no birth certificate connecting Thomas to Maya. No legal acknowledgment. No confirmed evidence of paternity. Right now, all we have is a note.”
“And Marisol’s warning,” Maya said.
“Yes.”
“Can you find her?”
“We’re trying.”
Maya looked toward the dark phone on the table.
“What if she’s in danger?”
Daniel did not answer immediately.
“That is possible,” he said carefully. “But the disconnected number may also have been temporary or internet-based. We should not assume the worst.”
David stared through the window at the snow.
“What did she mean when she said my mother knows why my father died?”
“I don’t know,” Daniel said. “But before we reach conclusions, remember that grief creates stories. Family members remember the same event differently. Documents get lost. People exaggerate. People lie. Sometimes they lie to protect someone. Sometimes they lie to protect themselves.”
