Ivy’s mouth fell open. “Those aren’t like ours,” she realized. “Those are ours. We’re wearing our parents’ wedding rings!” She touched the ring on the chain around her neck, and for the first time she understood why her ring was too big, while Olivia’s fit perfectly: Ivy had their father’s wedding band, Olivia had their mother’s.
“Of course.” Olivia sighed like they always should have known.
It must be so hard for my dad to see me wearing it every day, Ivy thought tenderly. She remembered how, after her father had given her the ring for her tenth birthday, he’d become very quiet and distracted for a few days.
“So why didn’t he just admit he’s my dad?” Olivia wondered, looking bewildered. “And why did he always tell you you were adopted?”
“My dad always says he doesn’t like looking back at the past,” Ivy said. She looked again at the picture of their parents and how happy they seemed together. “Maybe it’s just too difficult for him. We remind him of our mom.” She smiled at Olivia. “Especially you. You’re human like she was.”
Olivia couldn’t stop looking at their parents’ wedding picture. My dad’s been right here all along, she thought. She felt like a missing piece had been added to her heart, one that she hadn’t even known was missing. She remembered the first time she’d met Mr. Vega, when she had been disguised as Ivy and they had been decorating the upstairs ballroom for the All Hallows’ Ball together—how sophisticated and stylish and cool he’d seemed. And then she thought of the way he’d offered to vouch for her for her initiation, and how proud he’d looked when she’d passed the tests, and she felt warm inside.
“He’ll be home soon,” Ivy interrupted her thoughts gently. “We’d better get back upstairs.” Together, the two of them packed the picture and the letters back into the wooden box and returned it to its hiding place. This time, Olivia led the way up the darkened spiral staircase. She wasn’t spooked or disoriented at all. Somehow, now, she felt like she was at home.
“Ivy,” Olivia began hesitantly as they emerged into the study once more. “Do you mind if we don’t tell your dad—I mean, our dad—about our discovery just yet?”
Ivy shook her head. “No, its fine,” she replied, squeezing her sister’s hand. “I need some time to get my head around this myself.”
A few minutes later, Olivia was lying thoughtfully on the floor of the living room when Ivy let out a long, sad sigh from her place on the couch.
“What is it?” Olivia asked, staring at the light gray ceiling.
“I just remembered we’re supposed to move to Europe in, like, just over a week,” replied Ivy.
Olivia had forgotten, too, and for a moment, she felt like she’d been punched in the gut. It’s bad enough that Ivy’s leaving, she thought. But now I know I’ll be losing my biological father, too!
She took a deep breath and sat upright. “That means,” she said calmly, “we have that long to change our dad’s mind!”
Slowly, Ivy’s face hardened into a look of determination. “You’re right. We have to find a way to talk him out of it.”
Just then, Olivia heard the sound of a car pulling up outside. The sisters stood up and smiled at each other.
“Our dad’s here,” Olivia said thoughtfully. The words “our dad” still felt strange to her.
Ivy nodded, and together they headed to the front door to greet him.
[end]