I hesitated a bit but gave in. “Well… I was raised by a single mom. It was always just her, me, my twin brother Michael, and Talia. We never stayed in one place for too long. My mom was… protective. Secretive, too. But she was strong.”

He nodded, listening intently.

“She passed away when I was thirteen,” I added softly. “That’s when everything changed. Talia and I have been on our own since then.”

“I’m sorry,” he said genuinely.

“It’s okay.” I shrugged. “It still hurts, but she made sure we were okay before she left.”

“What about your brother?”

“He… he didn’t make it either,” I admitted, my voice...