“Does it matter if it lists my biological father?”
“Only if you want it to.” Nothing would touch his Colby.
“Well, I’m done with me being a weenie about it.” She slit the top of the envelope open and pulled out the reports. As she read, he glanced at them over her shoulder.
“Huh,” she murmured. “Colby isn’t my real name. I wonder why she changed it.”
“It’s not unusual for immigrants to do it, especially if they are starting a new life.” The pages include details about her mother’s home in South Korea. Colby let out another sound. “My birthday isn’t in January.” That date was the one for the legal filing of Colby’s name. She’d been born in summer.
“You can have two birthdays,” Brett grinned, and kissed the tip of her nose.
Deeper in, they found a single page regarding her biological father. The name wasn’t familiar, but Pierce had added a notation—Yukon Pack—beneath it. It also listed the date of his death as a month before her mother left South Korea. Colby blew out a breath and her relief filled his nostrils.
“It says he died saving people from a fire,” she whispered. “He died, he didn’t abandon her and she didn’t run away from him.” The next sheet included what looked like a news article, but it was written in Korean. That didn’t stop his gorgeous mate, she devoured the information. “A fire raged through the Tuan School for Children today. Seven lives were lost including American, Colby McDowell.” Colby. Her mother had renamed her after her father. “McDowell rushed into the building and evacuated nearly every classroom, but was himself trapped by the fire when he went in one last time. No remains have been located though the search continues. McDowell is survived by his wife, Sun-Ha, and their daughter, Xiaolang.”
The rest included notes on their life in Maine, her mother’s emigration and legal name change. The birthday she’d grown up celebrating was also listed as the day of her father’s birth.
“I never knew,” Colby whispered, finally done reading. She leaned her head against his shoulder. “My whole life, she never told me. It was always about rules and restrictions. It says he was there building homes for people when he met her, helping to bring a better life to villagers. She left and came to the states and married an accountant. Dad was a good dad, and I love him. But why wouldn’t she tell me?”
“It is possible for mates to survive each other, if one dies. Not all mates are willing, sometimes they have to have a reason. If she survived for you, then telling you would…”
“…hurt her. She kept her grief private.” Sadness etched into her scent. “I always thought she was just so old-fashioned, so hidebound by her culture.”
Pressing a kiss to her forehead, Brett said, “Do you want to go see your mother?”
“We’re on our honeymoon.” So much in the way of an apology hung together in her words.
“We are together, my beautiful mate. We will always be together. We can have a honeymoon for the rest of our lives. She’s your mom, so if you want to go see her, we can go see her.”
Pushing away the papers, she straddled his lap and leaned in to touch her forehead to his. “How did I get so lucky?”
That was simple. “Because you’re you.”
“Okay.” She kissed him, then swiped away her tears and he recognized the playful gleam in her eyes. “How did you get so lucky?”
Joy filled him because the answer was the same. With his mate by his side, his best friend home, and his pack celebrating—yes, he was damn lucky. Hudson River and Colby would both thrive. Sweeping the tray aside, he rolled her onto her back and whispered, “Let’s find out…” Together.