Lyric sits up beside me, combing her hair into place. “You know I’ll be there for you if you need me.” She lays her hand over mine and threads our fingers. “I just need you to be sure you want to do this.”

I turn and look her directly in the eye so she’ll know how truthful I’m being. “I want to do this.”

She grasps onto my hand and shuts her eyes. “Then I’ll be there for you.”

“Thank you.” I lean in and kiss her before moving off the bed and retrieving my phone from my pocket.

“You’re calling him now?” she asks, standing to her feet.

I nod as I dial his office number. “I’ll leave a message on his phone, but I need to do it now; otherwise, it’ll drive me crazy.”

I put the phone up to my ear, taking deep breaths and preparing myself for what I’m about to do. The cards have shifted now that I know my real father might be involved, and I’m even more terrified of what’s locked away in the box in my mind.

I have to do it now more than ever.

I know what the risks are. Shock. More memory loss. Heart complications. There’s a short list of other side effects, as well.

But it’s time to take that risk. It’s time for me to face my demons head on and find out what really happened to my siblings and me in that house. And who did it to us.