Chapter 10: The Baby They Gave to Another Family
“Someone at the hospital switched the babies.””
Vanessa's words seemed to stop the air inside the hotel room.
I stared at her.
“What babies?””
She looked at Daniel, then back at me.
“Ethan and Noah.””
I shook my head.
“No. They're both my sons. I held them. I brought them home.””
“I know.””
“Then what are you talking about?””
Vanessa wiped her cheeks.
“Margaret told me that Dr. Mercer had arranged for Ethan to be transferred to a private family. But when she arrived at the hospital, the baby waiting for her wasn't Ethan.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“Who was it?””
“Another newborn.””
I felt my stomach twist.
“Another family's baby?””
Vanessa nodded.
“Margaret said the hospital had made a mistake. She said the nurse had switched the identification bracelets.””
I stared at her.
“And you believed that?””
“I didn't know what else to believe. Margaret told me the child was healthy and that everything would be corrected.””
Daniel grabbed the back of a chair.
“Where is the other baby now?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“I don't know.””
I looked at the photograph of Alex again.
“Then who is Alex?””
Vanessa swallowed.
“He's the baby Margaret brought to me that night.””
My throat tightened.
“You're telling me Alex isn't my son?””
She looked at me.
“I don't know.””
I felt the room tilt.
Daniel caught my arm.
This time, I didn't pull away.
Vanessa continued.
“Margaret told me he was Ethan. She gave me his hospital paperwork and said the original records would be changed. But when I later found the pediatric report, the dates didn't match.””
“What dates?””
“The vaccination records showed that Alex had received his first newborn screening before the day Ethan and Noah were born.””
Daniel stared at her.
“That means he was born earlier.””
Vanessa nodded.
“By almost thirty-six hours.””
I covered my mouth.
There had been another mother.
Another woman who had given birth in that hospital.
And someone had taken her child.
I looked at Vanessa.
“Did Margaret know?””
“Yes.””
“Did she know whose baby she had taken?””
Vanessa hesitated.
Then she opened her suitcase and pulled out a small notebook.
“I found this in her study three days ago.””
She handed it to me.
The first pages contained names, dates, and handwritten notes.
Most were financial entries.
Then I found a page dated November 18, five years earlier.
Three names appeared.
Nia Carter.
Ethan Carter.
Noah Carter.
Beneath them was another name.
*Grace Miller.*
And beside it:
Replacement infant delivered to V. Reed. Original infant transferred under private arrangement.
I looked up.
“Who is Grace Miller?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“I don't know.””
Daniel took the notebook.
“Where did you get this?””
“Margaret's office.””
“Why were you searching her office?””
“Because she told me Alex was going to be taken away.””
I stared at her.
“What?””
Vanessa began crying again.
“She came to the house last week. She said the family had decided to correct the situation. She told me Alex would be moved to another household.””
Daniel's face hardened.
“Why?””
“Because the adoption was never legitimate. She said the boy was becoming a liability.””
I stood.
“Where is Alex now?””
“With the Millers.””
“Then we're going there.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“There's something you need to understand. The Millers don't know the adoption was fraudulent.””
I looked at her.
“Then we'll tell them.””
The address was in a quiet Connecticut neighborhood.
White fences.
Trimmed lawns.
Children's bicycles lying in driveways.
It looked like the kind of place where nothing terrible could possibly happen.
Daniel drove.
Vanessa sat in the back, holding the photograph of Alex.
I watched the houses pass.
My mind kept returning to the same question.
What if the boy in the photograph wasn't Ethan?
What if someone else's child had been taken?
And what if that child's mother had spent five years believing he was dead?
When we reached the address, a woman opened the front door before we could knock.
She looked to be in her early forties.
“Can I help you?””
Vanessa stepped forward.
“Mrs. Miller?””
The woman's expression changed.
“Vanessa?””
She looked past her toward Daniel.
Then she noticed me.
“What's going on?””
Vanessa took a breath.
“I need to talk to you about Alex.””
Mrs. Miller immediately stepped outside and closed the door behind her.
“Why?””
“Because the adoption papers may not be legitimate.””
The woman's face drained of color.
“That's impossible.””
“I have documents.””
“No. You don't understand. We went through an agency.
We had attorneys. We did everything legally.””
I stepped forward.
“Mrs. Miller, I'm Nia Carter. Five years ago, I gave birth to twin boys at Westbrook Women's Clinic.””
She stared at me.
“And?””
“One of my children disappeared from the hospital records.””
Her eyes widened.
I continued carefully.
“We believe the child Vanessa brought home may have been another family's baby.””
Mrs. Miller looked toward the house.
“Alex is our son.””
“I understand.””
“No, you don't.””
Her voice trembled.
“We waited eight years for that boy. We went through three failed adoptions. We spent everything we had. He is our son.””
I felt tears gathering.
“I am not here to take a child away from someone who loves him. I'm here to find out the truth about where he came from.””
Mrs. Miller looked at Vanessa.
“Did you know?””
Vanessa began crying.
“I thought the adoption was legitimate.””
“You thought?””
“I was lied to.””
Mrs. Miller stepped backward.
Then a little voice came from inside.
“Mommy?””
A boy appeared behind the glass door.
Dark hair.
Brown eyes.
A small dimple on his left cheek.
He looked at Vanessa.
Then at me.
And I felt my heart break all over again.
He was about five years old.
The same age as my twins.
Mrs. Miller immediately moved in front of him.
“Sweetheart, go upstairs.””
The boy frowned.
“Why?””
“Because the grown-ups need to talk.””
He looked at me.
“Who are you?””
I swallowed.
“My name is Nia.””
He smiled shyly.
“I'm Alex.””
I nodded.
“Hello, Alex.””
He looked at the photograph in Vanessa's hand.
“That's me.””
Vanessa wiped her cheeks.
“Yes, sweetheart.””
He looked at her.
“Are you coming to visit again?””
She couldn't answer.
Mrs. Miller gently guided him back inside.
Then she closed the door.
I stood on the porch, unable to move.
Daniel touched my shoulder.
“Nia.””
I turned toward him.
“Find out who Grace Miller is.””
He nodded.
“And find out who gave birth to Alex.””
Two hours later, Daniel received a call from Thomas Hale.
He had located the original hospital birth register.
There was a second mother listed in the maternity records.
Her name was Grace Miller.
She had given birth to a baby boy at 12:14 a.m. on November 17.
Her child had been discharged under a different name.
*Alexander Reed.*
The discharge date was November 23.
I looked at Daniel.
“That's the boy we just met.””
He nodded.
Thomas continued speaking.
“There's another problem. The original record indicates that Grace's newborn was temporarily transferred to the special care unit after a respiratory concern.””
I frowned.
“Was he sick?””
“Only briefly. But the record says another infant was transferred out of the nursery during the same period.””
“Which infant?””
Thomas paused.
“Ethan Carter.””
I gripped the phone.
“What does that mean?””
“It means there may have been a deliberate exchange.””
Daniel closed his eyes.
Thomas added:
“And Mrs. Carter, I found something else. The hospital recorded a complaint from Grace Miller three days after discharge.””
“What complaint?””
“She claimed the baby she brought home didn't have the same birthmark as the child she had seen in the nursery.””
My blood ran cold.
I looked at the photograph of Alex.
A small birthmark was visible near his right shoulder.
Thomas continued.
“Grace requested a DNA test. Her request was denied.””
I swallowed.
“Why?””
“Because the records had already been altered.””
I turned toward Daniel.
“We need to find Grace.””
Thomas's answer came quietly.
“You're too late.””
“What?””
“Grace Miller died two years ago.””
The phone nearly slipped from my hand.
Then Thomas added:
“But before she died, she sent a DNA sample to a private laboratory.””
I stopped breathing.
“Did she get the results?””
“Yes.””
“What did they say?””
Thomas paused.
“Mrs. Carter, the report confirms that the boy Vanessa raised is biologically related to Grace Miller.””
I stared at the road ahead.
Then he said:
“Which means Alex is not your son.””
Daniel lowered his head.
May you like
And I realized that somewhere in Connecticut, another little boy might still be my missing child.
But nobody knew where he was.
