Chapter 27

“Are you ready?” he asked, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze with his bear-sized palm.

My heart was drumming in my ribcage. So many emotions were having a full-blown party in my chest. How the heck was I supposed to face my biological parents after they left me?

“Is this okay, Jake?”

“This is okay.”

“I can’t stop my heart from beating fast,” I admitted, a nervous laugh escaping my lips. “I think it has a mind on its own.”

“Hearts are rebellious. Just take a deep breath.” He assured.

“I’m here to get the answer I have been asking myself for years, Jake, but now that I’m here, I feel like running back home.”

He turned to look at me. “Facing the past is like diving into cold water; it’s going to shock you at first, but once you’re in, you might find that it’s not as cold as you imagined.”

“I’m afraid I’ll find out something I can’t handle. Leaving me at the shelter was already terrible and facing the truth of why they left me will be much harder it seems.”

He tightened his grip on my h