His Heart Knew Before He Did novel Chapter 18

Lydia let out a soft, mocking laugh. "I'm sure she is."

"Lydia, your mother has actually been living in Capital North all these years... She married into some serious money. Her new husband has a daughter too, a few years younger than you."

Lydia's face remained utterly impassive. "Right."

Gerald swallowed hard, his brow knotting in discomfort. "Lydia... the truth is... your mother only reached out to me because she wanted me to ask you something..."

"Ask me what?"

"Your brother cut contact with the family a while back. They haven't been able to reach him for almost two months. She wanted me to ask if your brother has come looking for you."

Her older brother was seven years her senior. When their mother packed up and left with him, Lydia had only been three years old. Her memories of him were entirely blurred.

But according to her uncle, her brother had adored her. He had loved her fiercely.

With no contact since childhood and so many years having passed, they probably wouldn't even recognize each other if they bumped into each other on the street.

Besides, there was zero reason for him to seek her out now.

"No. No one has come looking for me."

Gerald didn't push the issue any further. He tried to soften the blow.

"Lydia, honestly, your mother still thinks about you. Maybe she had her reasons back then... I texted you her number. If you ever change your mind, you can call her. She gave birth to you, after all..."

Lydia lifted her chin slightly, looking Gerald directly in the eyes. Her voice wasn't loud, but it was forged in steel.

"Uncle Gerald, please pass this exact message along to her. Whether my life is good or bad has absolutely nothing to do with her. As far as I'm concerned, my mother died when I was three years old. Giving birth to me doesn't make her a mother. She doesn't deserve the title."

Right on cue, the bus pulled up.

As Lydia stepped toward the doors, Gerald called out one last time.

"Oh, wait, Lydia! What exactly is going on between you and that Xavier guy?"

Lydia gave a noncommittal response. "We're just friends. We're feeling things out."

Gerald shifted into full protective mode. "Lydia, don't rush into anything! A lot of guys treat you like gold when they're chasing you, but their true colors come out the longer you know them! Take your time getting to know him. Don't just settle because of your age. Who you spend your life with matters, do you hear me?"

"I hear you, Uncle Gerald."

...

By the time she made it back to the city and finished unpacking in her new apartment, the sun was already setting.

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