As soon as Tommy was gone, the girls' apparent shyness waned, both of them with more questions than Brendan could even process at once as he watched his brother's retreating back. He'd been told a few things, sure, but he still couldn't get a handle on any of this, and the things he really wanted to know, he doubted anyone would have an answer for. This was entirely new territory, though, and not just because the city was one he had never seen before. He'd spent half his life with Tess, made a choice years ago to give up a promise and stay with her. Even knowing that he would do anything for his two daughters, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to do this without her there.

He'd just finished offering yet another reassurance when Tommy returned, and he stared just a moment before following along, Rosie still on his hip. This was just one more uncertainty, but at least things seemed to be settled enough for the time being that he wasn't left to make sense of this on his own.

"Where are we going?" asked Emily before he could get a word out, when he'd meant to ask what all was in that envelope. "Is it far?"