- 3.
My mom called when I was analyzing data. Her voice was strange. “Alex, can you come home? I’m sick.” I rushed back. My dad had died in a
climbing accident when I was three. Mom had
raised me alone. She was all I had. I wasn’t
expecting to see Olivia. I was stunned when she
opened the door. Mom winked at me, like she
knew everything. I knew she was trying to set
us up. I was twenty–eight, single. She was
worried. So when she confessed that her illness
was a ruse, I believed her. I’d just finalized my
patent application. It would be worth a fortune,
enough to provide for Olivia.
