Caroline kept her left hand on her lap, watching his face.

“You had sixteen years to make a phone call,” she said.

“I know,” Thomas said, pulling his hand back and rubbing his palms together. “I know, and I will spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you. But we have to be careful right now.”

“Careful of what?” I asked.

“Rebecca,” Thomas said, his eyes shifting to the window. “She’s unstable, Mom. She’s going through some financial trouble, and she’s trying to use Caroline to get to my money. This letter she claims to have? It’s a fabrication.”

“How do you know what she has?” Caroline asked.

“She texted me too,” Thomas said quickly. “She’s trying to extort me. I came here to protect you both.”

He leaned closer, his eyes scanning Caroline’s face.

“But let’s not talk about her,” Thomas said, his tone shifting back to that warm, paternal register. “I want to hear about you. I heard from a colleague at Virginia Tech that you submitted an early application. Is that true?”