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“ What do you mean?”
    “I was worried you might be unaware of your heritage.  I didn’t know your mother well, but she had abandoned her herd.  When I happened on her, she wanted nothing to do with our kind.”
    What the heck was he talking about?  Herd?  Mom had never abandoned anyone or anything in her life.  We had a stray dog for years that was mean as a snake , but she wouldn’t turn her back on it .  S he kept feeding the vicious thing even when I begged her to let it starve.  “Her herd ?  What do you mean our kind ?”
    Will took on a nervous look, like he’d said something he desperately wanted to take back.  “Camille, what did your mother tell you about me ?   About your family ? ”
    “Nothing. . . I mean, she wouldn’t tell me anything about you. . . not ‘ til the night. . . you know.  What do you mean she abandoned her family?  Her parents died when she was very young.”
    “Your mother was Angela Chiron.  She left her family long ago.”
    With more resolve than I felt, “Her name was Angela Benning and her parents died when she was still a teenager.”  Even as I said the words, I remembered the old plane ticket I’d found in my mother’s closet, carefully tucked away from prying eyes, but purposely left for me to find after her death.  The name on the ticket had been Angela Chiron .  I’d dismissed it at the time, but now. . . who had she abandoned?  Did she have other kids?
    Will abruptly changed the subject, “ What about s chool?”
    I answered his question, even though I wanted to know what he meant by she left her family .  “I graduated high school, but never had the money to get into college.  Maybe someday. ”  The fact that I’d opted to skip college had never been a sensitive subject for me.  After high school I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life , and M om had never pushed me. 
    Will must have thought more of a degree than I did because he immediately volunteered, “ Camille, what’s mine is yours.  If you want an education , money isn’t a problem.”
    I turned my head, not sure how to say it without sounding like a jerk, “I’m not asking you for anything.”
    His features were warm and his voice thoughtful, “You needn’t ask.  It ’ s your birthright .  I have been blessed with good fortune , and yesterday I found out I was also blessed with a daughter.  I’d like a chance to be your father.”
    “I’ve only been your daughter for,” I looked at my watch , six p.m. on the west coast , “less than twenty-four hours.  Maybe offering to pay my way through college is something we can hold off on for a few days ?”
    Will nodded .  I got the feeling that he was just as nervous and maybe even more excited than I was.   He asked, “ A re you hungry?  We could find something in the kitchen if you are.”
    I hadn’t eaten since lunch .  I could only imagine what the kitchen looked like.   As we stepped out of my room , I saw this was one doorway in a hall filled with doorways on either side.  I didn’t want to gawk , but it looked like six rooms lined the hall .  The floor was a highly polished wood that felt cool on my feet .  R emembering the heat of the day , it felt good to be barefoot on the floor.   I was kicking myself for falling asleep on the way back .  I had no idea what the house looked like from the outside , where it was or how I got to my room.
    We found my brothers all huddled around a television.  Brent looked over his shoulder and gave a hearty, “Camille!  We were wondering if you were down for the count or what?  Glad you got up.  Dad though t we’d drugged you or something.” 
    “I don’t even remember the ride here .  A re you sure you didn’t drug me?”
    “High on life , little sister, high on life.”
    Brent and the others turned their attention back to the television as my father motioned me toward the kitchen.  I’ve been to Lowe ’ s, the Home Depot, I’ve even caught myself