Evelyn's eyes widened slightly in surprise at the unexpected information, before she quickly composed herself.

"I'm sure it doesn't matter to them whether or not you were adopted. You're their real son, and all they see when they look at you is their son," Evelyn tried to reassure him.

"No. I'm not their real son," he insisted. Evelyn looked at him with a confused frown, waiting for him to explain himself, as he seemed to have more to say.

Knowing he wouldn't be able to eat anymore, Derek packed up his lunch and pushed it aside while Evelyn waited patiently.

"After they adopted me, I went home to an already prepared room. There were toys, clothes, and everything a boy of my age and size should have, waiting for me. Even some books and awards in the name of Derek Stone," he said. Evelyn's eyes widened again as realization dawned on her, but she shook her head, unwilling to believe what she was thinking.

"I was too young to understand what was going on. When they came and said my name was going to be Derek Stone from then on, I accepted it happily. Living there was far better than the orphanage, after all," he said. Evelyn's heart ached for him as she listened.

"I was made to learn everything on those awards. The awards and certificates weren't originally mine, but I earned them all by working hard. I became Derek Stone in every sense of the word. I became the son they lost," Derek said, confirming her suspicion.

"Oh, Derek," she whispered.

Looking into his eyes, Evelyn could feel the pain and vulnerability evident in his voice, and her hands itched to reach across the table and touch his in comfort. Now she understood what he meant when he said he wondered if he was the one his parents saw when they looked at him.

"When I was in high school, I was searching for something and I saw a picture of a little boy—the original Derek Stone. It was then that I realized the reason I was adopted. We had similar features: the same brown hair and blue eyes. The closest they could get to their son," Derek said. This time, she reached across the table and squeezed his hand.

"I'm so sorry," she murmured.

"Don't be," Derek said with a wry smile as he looked down at their hands. "I'm glad they adopted me. I mean, who knows how my life would have turned out had they not! They've shown me nothing but love, even though sometimes I think all they see when they look at me is their son and not me. I feel like I'm not living for myself. I feel like I'm living for them. Or perhaps their son is living through me," Derek said with a sigh.

"Did you ever ask them?" she asked. He nodded.

"At first, I tried to keep it from them, but my mother could tell something was wrong, so she asked until I opened up. It was after that time that I stopped joining the family for interviews. I was willing to be their son, but I didn't want to stand in front of any more cameras pretending to be someone I wasn't," Derek said. Evelyn finally understood why he refused interviews.

"That's why you wanted me to spend time getting to know you for who you really are," she said. Derek nodded.

"Yeah. That, and other reasons," he said, and Evelyn sighed deeply.

"What about your biological parents? Have you ever tried to find them?" she asked. He shook his head.

"There was no need to. My parents said they were told my biological parents died in an accident; hence, I ended up at the orphanage," he explained.

"Do you remember them? How old were you when you were adopted?" she asked. He shook his head.

"I was seven. I don't remember anything from before I ended up at the orphanage," he said. Evelyn sighed deeply as she tried to let go of his hand, but he held on. Her heart fluttered.

"You should know that you're the first person I'm talking to about this. The only person I'm going to tell this to," Derek said, holding her gaze.

"Why did you tell me this?" she asked. He shrugged.

"I'm sure you know why," he said as he let go of her hand.

Evelyn placed her hands on her thighs and clasped them together as she looked at him. She realized there was more depth than she thought. She felt sorry for him and, at the same time, respected him.

"Why did you agree to the interview? You don't have to do it if you"

"I'm putting my trust in you, Eve. I need you to do a good job. I expect the interview to be about me—the real me," he said, cutting her off.

Evelyn felt a lump in her throat as she gave him a nod. "I promise to give this my best. Thank you for trusting me with this," Evelyn said, flashing Derek a genuine smile.

Derek smiled back. "It wasn't so hard, was it?" he asked. She raised an eyebrow.

"What?" she asked in confusion.

"Dropping the honorific and calling me Derek like you did earlier," he said, and she felt a blush creep up her face.

"Please, don't go back to the whole 'Mr. Stone' thing. It's tiring," he pleaded, and she looked at him hesitantly for a moment before nodding.

Her new knowledge of his background had changed the way she looked at him, and she believed that by sharing his story with her, they had crossed some sort of line, and maybe it wouldn't hurt to be a little more friendly with him.