While I had so many more questions, I knew it wasn't the time to expect detailed answers. It'd been a shock, but for the umpteenth time the statement, "We can talk about it later," crept back up from within rather than without.
I went with the easiest question we had time for: "Why are you telling me all of this now?"
Sam retreated inward to reflect on her response. "You're exhausted, hungry, and confused," she said quietly. "I can't offer anything to solve most of that—I don't have anything to give you. But I can apologize for how I acted and at least explain what little I do know. When Rob told me who you really were, it hit hard. He used to use you and your mother as a lesson in how to understand bad things happen to good people. He and your mother were close when they were children—you know that, right? Whatever I said or did before, if I'm treating you differently now, it's because Rob made me understand you're more like us than I first realized."
It had been the most she'd shared vocally since I'd known her, which, amazingly enough, only amounted to a few short hours.
Crazy....
Aloud, I voiced another question: "Us?"