The Match
Aria
The name on the screen was James Ashford.
Caden stared at it for a long moment without speaking, which from Caden meant he was doing something significant internally that hadn’t surfaced yet as words or action.
Sophia leaned over his shoulder and read the result.
“Half sibling,” she said quietly. “That’s the relationship category. Not parent. Half sibling.”
“William Ashford has a son named James,” Caden said slowly. “One of the two children he knows about.”
“Which means James Ashford is your half brother,” I said.
The sentence sat in the kitchen like something that needed a moment to become real.
Caden set the phone down on the counter.
Stepped back.
Ran both hands through his hair, which was the most unguarded physical gesture I’d ever seen from him, the Caden ve
