Chapter 9

Cambria and I talked every day since we met each other. I absolutely adored her. I learned that she was a successful entrepreneur and hair stylist. She"d traveled on tour with the singer Lyrica as her personal hair stylist.

Cam ran her business, Suite Dreams, which was an individual space within a larger building for beauty professionals. She took me to see it while I was in Saint Louis. It was beautifully decorated, and every suite was filled.

Her girls, my nieces Phoenix and Skye, were fun and smart. MJ, my nephew, was a ball of energy. I smiled the entire time they were around.

Mommy found a realtor and was actively looking for a house or condo to purchase in Saint Louis so she could visit Cam and her family often.

Like Zechariah, Morris had a huge family, and they all loved Cam. I was happy to know that she wasn"t alone. She was surrounded by love, not only from her family but her friends as well.

When we sat down with Mommy for her to tell the Cambria the details of our birth, it almost felt like I was hearing it for the first time. I cried just as hard as I did the first time and had more questions. Cambria told us about her life in the foster system and how tough she had to be to survive. My heart broke all over again knowing what she had to endure.

Cam and I met our siblings, Kalina, Noah, Zinniah and their families. They were all great people. Kalina was a business major like me and was next in line to run the McIntyre"s stores.

Cam had met all of them before and told me they were friendly people. We didn"t know how they would respond to having two older sisters, but they welcomed us with open arms. So did our aunts, uncles and cousins. We toured one of the McIntyre"s grocery store locations. I could see why they did so well. The stores were massive and had everything you needed, from hot food to an extensive wine selection. I was impressed.

Brooks was an amazing man. He was patient and gentle. He told us that he would move at our pace when it came to building a relationship. He had kept his word. He sent at least a good morning text every day, and he continuously gives us information about the family history. I don"t know what I envisioned a father to be, but Brooks was a welcomed addition in my life. He listened, asked questions and was genuinely interested in me.

Even Grandma tried to mend our relationship. I told her that it wouldn"t work unless she explained herself to Cam and apologized to her. She didn"t necessarily apologize, but it was the closest I"d ever heard her come to admitting she"d done something wrong.

Grandma spoke with Cam and said, "I don"t apologize for trying to make a good life for my daughter and give her opportunities to have a better life. I will say that it was never my intention for you to have a hard life. I left you with a great couple who I knew would love you and care for you. I asked your adopted family to make your middle name Siobhan after my fraternal grandmother Siobhan Francis – which is where my first name came from."

Cam said, "I always wondered where my middle name came from."

Grandma replied, "She was a fiercely strong woman. She could cook with one hand and hold a shotgun with the other. She dared people to mess with her family."

"Sounds like we all got a little bit of her in us," Cambria replied.

Grandma finished with, "I would like to move forward and become a part of your life if that"s possible."

I had warned Cam that Grandma might be a little rough around the edges and that her apology may not be the best, but she"d mean everything she said.

Cam accepted Grandma"s explanation and they were working on a relationship as well.

Mommy still has kept her distance from Grandma. No one is rushing her to accept Grandma back into her life. Grandma didn"t outright apologize to Mommy, but Mommy gave her credit for the conversation she had with Cam.