Chapter 23

"I waited for a long time, but you never showed up. So, I called Adrian instead. Then, Damien came, too," said Celeste. She stepped closer, smiling warmly at Annie. "I'm sorry, Celeste," Annie said. "That job was too important to turn down. I didn't even have time to call you. I rushed straight here." "It's fine." "Where are they now?" Annie asked, looking around but not seeing any of them. "It's a long story," Celeste replied, turning toward her. "It's almost lunchtime. Are you hungry? Let's go eat!" "Sure." They headed to a diner near the hospital, ordered two sandwiches, and sat down to eat. While they ate, they brought up Eloise. "They say Eloise really was sent back to an orphanage," Annie said. Celeste paused, her sandwich halfway to her mouth. "You tracked down Eloise's biological father?" "Yeah, but she's not with him. She really is in an orphanage, though I'm not sure which one yet. I'll have to look into it more." "Thanks a lot, Annie." "Don't mention it. We're pa