NICOLE

I walk into Richard's and immediately set out to find Sandra, who's in her office waiting for me.

When I enter, she looks at me with a look of clear surprise and admits, "I didn't think you were going to show up."

"Why?"

Sandra doesn't answer me. I don't bother asking the question again.

"I'll walk you to your room, and your client will arrive shortly," she informs me professionally, like she doesn't know that I'm here to meet my biological father and not a client. She looks at my ...