Anna never knew whether he received them.
He had not.
After Anna’s mother died, she tried to find him online.
But Daniel had completed residency in another state, and Anna believed he had married after seeing an engagement announcement involving a different Daniel Mercer.
She stopped searching.
The final pages explained the twins.
Their father, a man named Caleb Rhodes, had been Anna’s employer at a farm supply warehouse.
He began a relationship with her, then disappeared when she became pregnant.
He denied the twins were his and threatened to fire her if she told anyone.
Anna lost her job anyway.
She had no health insurance.
She planned to deliver at the county hospital but went into labor during a storm.
The creek flooded, cutting off the road.
Lily helped bring towels and water while Anna delivered the twins alone.
For two days, Anna believed she was recovering.
