Olivia (Logan 5)

"You deserve more," she said. "You've been an

ideal daughter, both to me and your father. He's very,

very proud of you, Olivia," she said, paused, and then

added, "as proud as he would be were you his own

daughter."

I looked up sharply.

"What?" Surely she's has lost her wits now, I

thought. "I am his own daughter."

She shook her head.

"The day you were born, Winston and I made a

vow. It was more his vow than mine."

"What vow?"

"Never to reveal the truth. He swore he could

live with it. I hadn't fallen in love with him yet, but I

&nb

sp; don't think I ever loved him more than I did at that

moment."

I shook my head.

"What are you telling me, Mother?"

"You know that your father and I were brought

together by his parents and mine. Our lives were more

or less planned by other people. I didn't think I could

live with him, much less love him. There was

someone else, someone not half as desirable in the

eyes of my parents, a young man, a fisherman who

worked for your grandfather and your father. Now,"

she said looking off, "he seems like a dream to me,

nothing more."

I thought my heart had fallen into my stomach.

My chest felt that empty and cold. I shook my head. The room began to spin so I closed my eyes and