Chapter 3: The Daughter They Gave Away
For a moment, I couldn't hear anything.
The refrigerator hummed.
A faucet dripped.
Somewhere upstairs, Maya moved across the bedroom floor.
But all I could think about was one sentence.
We gave her to another family.
I placed the phone on the kitchen counter.
“Explain.””
Eleanor sat down again.
Vanessa remained standing, holding the edge of the sink as though her legs might give way.
My mother spoke first.
“The twins were born prematurely. One was stronger than the other.””
I looked at her.
“You said one baby died.””
“That was what we told you.””
“So one of them was alive?””
Eleanor nodded.
“Both were.””
I gripped the back of a chair.
“Where was I?””
“At work. You were traveling that week.””
I remembered the trip.
A three-day business conference in Chicago.
Vanessa had called me crying on the second night.
She told me our baby hadn't survived.
I had booked the earliest flight home.
I remembered arriving at the hospital and holding my wife while she sobbed.
I remembered the tiny white coffin.
Except, apparently, there had never been a baby inside it.
I looked at Vanessa.
“You buried an empty coffin?””
She started crying harder.
“I didn't know what else to do.””
“You let me bury my daughter.””
“Marcus, I was grieving too!””
“You were holding a living child in your arms while I stood at a grave believing both my daughters were dead!””
Vanessa covered her mouth.
Eleanor stepped between us.
“Don't blame Vanessa for everything. I made the decisions.””
I turned toward her.
“Then tell me where the other baby went.””
My mother stared at the table.
“Rachel couldn't afford to raise two children. She was young, unmarried, and frightened. She agreed that one child would be raised by another family.””
I frowned.
“Rachel agreed?””
“Yes.””
“Then why is she threatening you in those messages?””
Eleanor hesitated.
Vanessa finally spoke.
“Because she changed her mind.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
“Rachel originally agreed to let us raise Maya. The other baby was placed with a couple who couldn't have children. But when Rachel recovered, she wanted both girls back.””
“Both girls?””
Vanessa nodded.
“She contacted your mother. She wanted to undo everything.””
“And you refused?””
Vanessa began twisting her wedding ring.
“I had already become Maya's mother.””
I stared at her.
“You had become her mother because I believed she was our daughter.””
“She was our daughter!””
“Then why were you afraid of a DNA test?””
Vanessa's head snapped up.
I froze.
I hadn't mentioned DNA testing.
But her expression told me something.
“Why would you assume I wanted a DNA test?””
She couldn't answer.
My mother stood.
“Marcus, listen carefully. We did what we believed was best for the children.””
“No. You did what was best for yourselves.””
I took the phone and walked toward the stairs.
Vanessa followed.
“Where are you going?””
“To check on my daughter.””
“Marcus, we need to finish this conversation.””
I turned around.
“You can finish it with a lawyer.””
Her face changed.
“You wouldn't do that.””
I looked at her.
“Watch me.””
Upstairs, Maya was sitting on the floor beside her bed.
She had placed the cut braids on a small towel.
When I entered, she quickly gathered them.
“I'm sorry, Daddy.””
I crouched beside her.
“For what?””
“My hair.””
I stared at her.
“You don't ever have to apologize for your hair.””
She looked down.
“Grandma said I looked like my mother when my hair was long.””
I stopped breathing for a second.
“What did she mean?””
Maya shrugged.
“She said I had the same hair as the woman in the picture.””
I sat beside her.
“Did Grandma show you a picture?””
Maya nodded.
“She keeps it in her jewelry box.””
“Was it Rachel?””
“I don't know. The woman had long hair. She was holding two babies.””
My heart began pounding.
“Two babies?””
Maya nodded.
“One had a little pink bracelet. The other had a blue one.””
I closed my eyes.
The photograph from the hidden compartment showed only one baby.
There had been another photograph beneath it.
I had overlooked it in the shock of everything else.
“Did you see where Grandma keeps the picture?””
Maya pointed toward the hallway.
“In her bedroom. Under the jewelry box.””
I kissed her forehead.
“Stay here. I'll be right back.””
I went downstairs and found Eleanor standing near the front door with her purse.
“Where are you going?””
She froze.
“To get some air.””
“No.””
She stared at me.
“You can't keep me here.””
“I'm not keeping you anywhere. But you're not leaving with the only answers I have.””
She slowly put down her purse.
I walked to her bedroom.
Her jewelry box sat on the dresser.
Inside were old necklaces, rings, and several photographs.
Beneath the velvet lining was a folded hospital document.
I opened it.
It was a discharge summary.
The mother's name was Rachel Bennett.
Two infants were listed.
Baby A.
Baby B.
Both alive.
Both assigned the same birth date.
And both had the same biological father.
My name.
I sat on the edge of the bed.
There was another document.
A private placement agreement.
The names of the adoptive parents had been blacked out in thick black ink.
But someone had written an address in the margin.
A street in a neighboring town.
I photographed every page.
Then I returned downstairs.
Vanessa was standing in the kitchen.
“You went through her things?””
“Where is the other girl?””
She began shaking her head.
“I don't know.””
“You signed the agreement.””
“I didn't arrange the placement.””
“But you knew.””
She lowered her eyes.
I placed the photograph of the hospital document on the counter.
“Two babies. Both alive. Why did you tell me one died?””
Vanessa pressed her lips together.
“Because Eleanor said you would never accept the truth.””
“What truth?””
She finally looked at me.
“That Maya wasn't biologically mine.””
I stared at her.
“You think that would have made me love her less?””
“I thought you would want your own child.””
I stepped closer.
“Maya is my child.””
Vanessa began crying again.
But this time, I didn't comfort her.
My phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
I answered.
“Hello?””
A woman's voice came through.
“Is this Marcus?””
“Yes.””
“My name is Rachel Bennett.””
I gripped the counter.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then she said something that made the room tilt.
“I've been trying to reach you for eight years. I gave birth to two daughters. Your mother took one, and the other was adopted without my permission.””
I closed my eyes.
“Are you Maya's biological mother?””
“Yes.””
“Where is the other girl?””
Rachel began crying.
“That's why I'm calling. I finally found her.””
My heartbeat quickened.
“Where?””
“She lives with a family in Connecticut. Her name is Lily.””
I looked toward the staircase.
Maya was upstairs, alone.
I swallowed.
“Does she know about Maya?””
“No. Her parents were told she was adopted as an only child.””
I leaned against the wall.
“Why are you telling me now?””
Rachel's voice dropped.
“Because someone has been following me. And yesterday, I received a photograph of Maya outside her school.””
My stomach turned.
“Who sent it?””
“I don't know. But the message said that if I contacted you again, both girls would disappear.””
I looked toward the kitchen.
Eleanor had gone completely still.
Vanessa's hands were trembling.
Rachel continued.
“Marcus, there's something else you need to know. The hospital never made a mistake. The babies were never switched.””
I looked at the birth certificate in my hand.
“What?””
“Your mother knew exactly which baby was yours. She chose Maya because—”
A sudden crash came from upstairs.
I dropped the phone.
“Maya!””
I ran toward the staircase.
At the top, Maya's bedroom door stood open.
Her blanket was on the floor.
Her little pink shoes were missing.
And on her pillow lay a folded piece of paper.
My hands shook as I opened it.
*MARCUS, IF YOU WANT YOUR DAUGHTER BACK, STOP LOOKING FOR THE OTHER ONE.*
Behind me, Vanessa whispered:
“Oh, God. They found her.””
I turned.
“Who found her?””
My wife looked at Eleanor.
May you like
And my mother finally confessed the one thing that made everything worse.
“The people who adopted Lily were never supposed to know Maya existed.””
