Chapter 5: The Name on the Birth Record
The darkness lasted three seconds.
But Maya felt every one.
Marcus immediately moved in front of her.
“Stay behind me.””
Sarah grabbed Maya's hand.
Vanessa stood frozen near the counter.
Then the lights came back.
Marcus looked toward the windows.
Nothing.
The kitchen looked exactly the same.
White cabinets.
Marble island.
A half-empty glass of water.
Vanessa's phone.
Except now the phone screen was black.
Maya looked at Vanessa.
“Who is Daniel?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“We need to leave.””
Marcus stared at her.
“You're not going anywhere.””
“He knows we're here.””
“Who?””
“Daniel.””
Marcus stepped closer.
“You're going to tell me everything.””
Vanessa looked toward the front door.
“He doesn't make threats twice.””
Sarah's voice was trembling.
“Where did you take her?””
Vanessa turned.
“I didn't take her.””
“Then who did?””
“I told you. Daniel.””
Sarah moved toward her.
“You watched them take my baby.””
Vanessa's eyes filled.
“I was twenty-four years old.””
“I don't care how old you were.””
“I was scared.””
“So was I!””
Sarah's voice shattered.
“I woke up and my daughter was gone.””
Maya stepped between them.
“Enough.””
Both women stopped.
Maya looked at Sarah.
“You said my sister was alive.””
“I believe she is.””
“You believe?””
Sarah hesitated.
“I found evidence.””
“What evidence?””
Sarah reached inside her coat again.
This time she pulled out several folded papers.
Marcus took them.
The first was a photocopy of a hospital birth record.
He scanned it.
His expression changed.
“What?””
Maya grabbed the paper.
At the top was the hospital name.
Below it:
*Mother: Sarah Wright*
*Father: Marcus Wright*
Then:
*Infant A: Female — Maya*
*Infant B: Female — Maya’s twin*
Maya's hands began shaking.
Under Infant B, the word *TRANSFERRED* had been stamped in red.
“No.””
She looked at Marcus.
“This isn't real.””
Marcus stared at the document.
“It has my name.””
“Could it be fake?””
Sarah shook her head.
“I verified it.””
Maya turned to Vanessa.
“Where is she?””
“I don't know.””
“You knew her name?””
Vanessa looked away.
Maya stepped closer.
“What was her name?””
Silence.
“Vanessa.””
Nothing.
“Tell me her name.””
Vanessa finally whispered,
“Amara.””
Maya's face crumpled.
“Amara.””
She repeated it like testing the sound.
“Amara.””
Sarah covered her mouth.
“That was the name I chose.””
Maya looked at her.
“You named her?””
Sarah nodded.
“I named both of you.””
Marcus lowered the papers.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“I tried.””
“No. Why didn't you tell me after?””
Sarah stared at him.
“Because every time I tried to reach you, Vanessa answered.””
Marcus slowly turned.
Vanessa shook her head.
“I was told you were dangerous.””
“By Daniel?””
“Yes.””
“Who is Daniel?””
Vanessa's voice dropped.
“My brother.””
Maya stared at her.
“Your brother?””
“He worked security at the hospital.””
Sarah's eyes widened.
“He was there.””
Vanessa nodded.
“He knew about the twins.””
Marcus's jaw tightened.
“What happened to Amara?””
Vanessa looked at Maya.
“Daniel arranged for her to be transferred.””
“To where?””
“I don't know.””
“You expect me to believe that?””
“I was given a name.””
“What name?””
Vanessa hesitated.
Then she said,
“Evelyn Carter.””
Sarah's eyes widened.
“No.””
Marcus looked at her.
“You know her?””
Sarah nodded.
“She was the social worker assigned to my case.””
Maya felt sick.
“Why would a social worker take my sister?””
Sarah's voice dropped.
“She wasn't supposed to.””
Marcus looked at the papers again.
“Then someone falsified the transfer.””
Vanessa nodded.
“And after that?””
“Daniel told me Amara had died.””
Sarah stepped closer.
“And you believed him?””
“I was young.””
“You saw no body?””
“No.””
“No funeral?””
“No.””
“No death certificate?””
Vanessa looked down.
“No.””
Maya's eyes filled with tears.
“So you knew she might be alive.””
Vanessa whispered,
“I hoped she was.””
Maya stared at her.
“You let me grow up thinking I was alone.””
“I thought keeping you safe was more important.””
“Safe?””
Maya laughed through her tears.
“You stole my mother.””
Vanessa flinched.
“You stole my sister.””
“I didn't—”
“You lied to my father.””
“I was trying to protect him too.””
Marcus slammed the papers onto the counter.
“You don't get to call this protection.””
Vanessa stared at him.
“I loved you.””
Marcus's expression hardened.
“That doesn't excuse any of this.””
Vanessa looked toward Maya.
“I loved you too.””
Maya shook her head.
“You don't get to say that.””
A car engine started outside.
Everyone froze.
Marcus moved toward the window.
A dark SUV sat across the street.
Its headlights were off.
Sarah whispered,
“That's him.””
Marcus turned.
“How do you know?””
“I've seen that car before.””
The SUV's driver's door opened.
A tall Black man stepped out.
He stood beneath the streetlight.
Marcus's entire body stiffened.
Vanessa whispered,
“Daniel.””
The man looked directly toward the kitchen window.
Then he raised his phone.
Marcus's phone buzzed.
A message appeared.
*YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES.*
Another message followed.
*OR MAYA LEARNS WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO AMARA.*
Maya stared at the screen.
“What does that mean?””
Marcus didn't answer.
Sarah suddenly grabbed the birth record.
Her eyes locked on the bottom of the page.
“There.””
She pointed.
A handwritten number appeared beneath the transfer stamp.
*2147.*
Maya frowned.
“What is that?””
Sarah's face went pale.
“It isn't a case number.””
Marcus looked at her.
“Then what is it?””
May you like
Sarah whispered,
“It's a prison visitation number.””
