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Instead of responding to that, I asked, “What did you mean when you said you were getting things ready for tonight?”

“I’m sure Bryn will tell you. It’s not anything you didn’t already know.” She patted my cheek. “See you then, son.”

I closed the door behind her and returned to Bryn. “What are you and Mom doing tonight?”

She smiled brightly at me. “There’s a ritual that will help me learn more about my birth mother. We’re doing it tonight!”

Her smile was so sweet that it took me a few seconds to comprehend what she’d just told me. “Wait, you’re doing that tonight?”

She nodded. “Isn’t that awesome?” But her smile slowly disappeared when she saw me frowning. “You don’t seem happy.”

“Mom told me about that ritual. She said she needed to make sure it would be safe.”

“Well, I guess she made sure it was safe. She wouldn’t have suggested it to me otherwise, would she?”

She was right, but frustration swarmed my chest. “How could you make that decision without talking to me about it first?”

Whe