A Reborn Bride Pearl Emerging from Dust by Sally Garcia

When Calliope reached the end of the letter, her eyes were rimmed with red. She knew Kermit had always cared about her, always worried for her. Even though he wasn't her real grandfather by blood, he might as well have been. He treated her just like a granddaughter-his own granddaughter.

At the end of the letter, Kermit mentioned there were a few things inside the box for her. He admitted he hadn't managed to find out who Calliope's biological mother was, but he left her a necklace that she'd been wearing as a baby. The pendant was unique, and Kermit figured maybe, just maybe, it could be a clue to finding her real mother or her family.

He'd also left a portrait-his own drawing-of what he remembered Calliope's mother looking like.

Finally, Kermit apologized. He felt guilty for not being able to spend more time with Calliope, for not being there for her longer.

As Calliope stared at the letter, her eyes filled even more with tears.

At the same time, she felt a jolt of shock. She'd wondered, once or twice, if she was really a Jewell by blood. She never expected her suspicions to be true. She really wasn't a biological member of the Jewell family.

"What's it say?" Silas asked, watching her from the side.

Calliope looked at him, hesitated for a moment, then handed him the letter. "See for yourself," she said quietly.

read quickly. When he finished, he looked a little surprised, but somehow he also

look like any of the Jewells," he said, trying for a light tone.

I'm not a

to her mother after giving her to

drive a mother to hand her baby

she survived, she'd come back for

But...

off, a little afraid to follow them

back, not in all these years. Did that

mind. "Maybe something happened, or maybe... maybe she's still out there, and just thought you were

me with Grandpa Kermit, and gave him enough money to take care

a family who loved her, after all. Her real mother

mother must have done everything she could to protect her. She must have loved her enough to

thinking about it, some of her anger toward the Jewell family faded. Still, if the real Ms Jewel had survived, she