Chapter 7: The Name on My Birth Certificate
Nobody said my name.
They didn't have to.
The attic suddenly felt too small for all of us.
I stared at Andrew.
“Say that again.””
He looked at his phone.
“Anna Miller.””
“No.””
My voice came out flat.
“That isn't me.””
Dad stepped toward me.
“Sophie…”
“Don't.””
I backed away.
“My name is Sophie Carter.””
Andrew looked at me carefully.
“I know.””
“My birth certificate says Sophie Carter.””
“I know.””
“Then why did you just say my name is Anna Miller?””
Vanessa covered her mouth.
Marcus looked completely lost.
“Mom,” he whispered, “what is happening?””
She didn't answer.
Dad turned toward her.
“You said Sophie was born in 2006.””
Vanessa nodded.
“Where?””
“At St. Mary's.””
Dad's face changed.
“That's the same hospital.””
Vanessa closed her eyes.
I stared at her.
“Why?””
She didn't respond.
“Why did you tell everyone I was born there?””
“I didn't.””
“You just said it.””
“I mean—I didn't choose the hospital.””
Dad looked confused.
“What are you talking about?””
Vanessa's hands trembled.
“I wasn't there when Sophie was born.””
Dad froze.
“What?””
“You know I wasn't.””
“I was at work.””
“Yes.””
“And Rebecca—”
“Rebecca was there.””
My heart pounded.
Dad looked at me.
Then at Andrew.
“Get the records.””
Andrew nodded.
“I already did.””
He opened his folder and pulled out several pages.
“There's a problem with the original birth records.””
Dad took them.
“What problem?””
“The hospital file for Lily Carter is incomplete.””
He turned another page.
“And the file for Anna Miller was sealed.””
“Adoption?””
“Yes.””
I stared at the papers.
“Why would my adoption records be sealed?””
Andrew looked at me.
“Because someone requested an emergency sealed adoption.””
Dad's face hardened.
“Who?””
Andrew hesitated.
Then he looked at Vanessa.
“She did.””
The room went silent.
I stared at Vanessa.
“You?””
She shook her head quickly.
“I didn't adopt you.””
“Then what did you do?””
“I signed paperwork.””
“What paperwork?””
“I was told it was temporary.””
Dad stepped closer.
“Who told you?””
“My mother.””
Dad looked stunned.
“Your mother?””
“She told me Rebecca couldn't keep both babies.””
I felt dizzy.
“Babies?””
Vanessa nodded.
“There were two.””
Dad's eyes filled.
“And you knew.””
“I knew there were twins.””
“You knew when Sophie came into my life?””
Vanessa nodded.
“You knew Sophie was Anna?””
She whispered, “Yes.””
I couldn't breathe.
Marcus stared at his mother.
“So Sophie isn't Dad's biological daughter?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“No.””
Dad looked at me.
I saw the answer before he said it.
“You are.””
My entire body went cold.
“You're my daughter.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
“Yes.””
“How?””
Dad's eyes filled with tears.
“Because you were the baby I was told had died.””
The words struck harder than anything else that day.
I grabbed the attic railing.
“No.””
Dad came closer.
“Sophie…”
“No!””
I pulled away.
“You can't just tell me this now.””
“I know.””
“You can't tell me I've been your daughter for twenty years after you let me believe I was just—”
My voice broke.
Dad's face crumpled.
“I never knew.””
“You should have!””
“I know.””
“You should have looked!””
“I did!””
“Then why didn't you find me?””
He looked at the floor.
“Because I was lied to.””
I laughed through my tears.
“So was I.””
Dad looked at me.
“What?””
“I spent my whole life thinking I was Sophie.””
Vanessa whispered, “You are Sophie.””
I turned toward her.
“Then who is Anna?””
She couldn't answer.
Andrew slowly pulled out another document.
“That's the part we need to establish.””
He placed it on the table.
“The adoption record names the child as Anna Rebecca Carter.””
Dad stared.
“Carter?””
“Yes.””
“That means she wasn't adopted out under the Miller name.””
Andrew nodded.
“Correct.””
I looked at him.
“Then why did you say Anna Miller?””
He turned his phone toward me.
“The private investigator found a woman who was adopted by the Miller family. Her original records were altered.””
Dad stared at the screen.
A photograph appeared.
A young woman with dark hair.
She looked nothing like me.
But the eyes—
I couldn't look away.
“She lives eleven minutes away?””
“Yes.””
“What's her name?””
“Anna Miller.””
Dad swallowed.
“Then who am I?””
Andrew looked at the paperwork.
“That is what we don't know.””
Vanessa suddenly whispered, “I do.””
Everyone turned.
She was crying.
“The baby named Anna was never given to the Millers.””
Dad stared at her.
“Then where did she go?””
Vanessa looked at me.
“She came here.””
My stomach dropped.
“What?””
Vanessa nodded.
“My mother arranged everything.””
Dad stepped forward.
“Explain.””
“She said Rebecca was unstable.””
“She wasn't.””
“I know that now.””
“You knew it then.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“No. I believed my mother.””
Dad's voice shook.
“You believed her enough to steal my daughter?””
“I thought I was helping.””
“You took a baby.””
“I didn't.””
“You signed the paperwork!””
“I was twenty-four!””
“That doesn't excuse it!””
Vanessa began sobbing.
I looked at her.
“What happened to me?””
She stared at me.
“You were placed with another family.””
“Which family?””
Vanessa's lips trembled.
“The Carters.””
Dad froze.
“What?””
“They had just lost a baby.””
I stared.
“My family?””
Vanessa nodded.
“They were told the baby was theirs.””
Dad's face went white.
“No.””
Andrew looked through the documents.
“That explains the name change.””
I felt sick.
“Wait.””
Everyone looked at me.
“My parents…”
I couldn't finish.
Dad understood.
“You were raised by people who believed you were their biological child.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
Andrew spoke carefully.
“Your legal parents may not be your biological parents.””
My entire childhood flashed through my mind.
My mother's hands braiding my hair.
My father's laugh at Christmas.
The photographs in our hallway.
The stories about the day I was born.
Everything suddenly felt fragile.
“Where are they?””
Dad looked at me.
“They're gone.””
I closed my eyes.
My adoptive parents had died years ago.
I had spent years mourning them.
Now I didn't know whether I had been mourning my parents or the people who had raised me.
Dad stepped toward me.
“You are still Sophie.””
I looked at him.
“I don't know who I am.””
He swallowed.
“I know.””
“I don't know who my mother is.””
“She was Rebecca.””
“Was?””
Dad looked away.
Andrew quietly said, “Rebecca died eleven years ago.””
My knees nearly gave out.
Dad caught my arm.
“She died?””
“Yes.””
I stared at him.
“And Lily?””
Andrew nodded.
“Alive.””
I looked at the photograph.
My sister.
My twin.
Somewhere out there.
For twenty years.
And Vanessa had known.
Dad looked at Vanessa.
“You knew Sophie was my daughter.””
“Yes.””
“You knew Rebecca died.””
“Yes.””
“You knew Lily was looking for me.””
“Yes.””
“And you still hid everything.””
Vanessa sobbed.
“I was terrified.””
Dad shook his head.
“You should have been honest.””
She looked at him.
“I loved you.””
“No.””
His voice was quiet.
“You loved having me.””
She flinched.
He turned toward me.
“I will spend the rest of my life fixing this.””
I wiped my cheeks.
“You can't fix twenty years.””
“No.””
He nodded.
“But I can stop lying today.””
Andrew looked at his phone.
“Then there's something else.””
Dad turned.
“What?””
“The woman named Anna Miller isn't the twin.””
“What?””
“She was part of the investigation because her adoption records were connected to your case.””
Dad frowned.
“Then where is Lily?””
Andrew's phone buzzed.
He read the message.
His face changed.
“What?””
He looked at me.
“Lily just sent me her location.””
Dad stepped forward.
“Where?””
Andrew showed him.
Dad stared.
I watched the color disappear from his face.
“What?””
He whispered, “She's at the hospital.””
“Why?””
Andrew looked at me.
“Because she says she has the original letter.””
My heart pounded.
“What letter?””
“The one Rebecca wrote to both of you.””
Dad's phone rang.
He answered immediately.
“Lily?””
A woman's trembling voice came through.
“Dad?””
He closed his eyes.
“Yes.””
“I found the letter.””
“What does it say?””
There was silence.
Then Lily whispered,
“It says our mother knew exactly who took Anna.””
Dad froze.
I felt cold all over.
“Who?””
Lily's voice cracked.
“She wrote a name.””
Dad gripped the phone.
“What name?””
Lily took a breath.
May you like
Then said it.
“Vanessa.””
