Chapter 6: The Mother I Never Knew
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Not me.
Not Daniel.
Not even Rachel.
The only sound in the room was Elijah crying softly against my chest.
My mother's name echoed in my head.
Again and again.
*Your mother.*
It didn't make sense.
My mother was the woman who packed my lunches when I was a child.
The woman who stayed beside my hospital bed when I had pneumonia.
The woman who cried when I got married.
The woman who held my hand when Rachel disappeared.
She was the person who taught me that family meant protecting the people you loved.
And now Rachel was telling me she had approved some kind of program involving my own son.
"No.""
The word left my mouth before I could stop it.
"That's impossible.""
Rachel's breathing came through the phone.
"I wish it was.""
"You're lying.""
"I'm not.""
"You disappeared for twelve years and now you expect me to believe my mother was behind this?""
"Naomi—"
"No.""
My voice shook.
"You don't get to come back into my life and destroy everything I know.""
Daniel stepped closer.
"Naomi.""
I turned toward him.
"Did you know?""
His silence answered.
My chest tightened.
"You knew.""
"Not everything.""
"But you knew about my mother.""
"I knew she was involved.""
The betrayal hurt more than I expected.
Maybe because some small part of me still hoped he would be the one person who had no secrets.
"You let me believe I was crazy.""
Daniel looked devastated.
"I never wanted you to know this way.""
"How did you want me to know?""
He had no answer.
I looked down at Elijah.
His tiny hand gripped my finger.
That was the only thing keeping me from falling apart.
"Rachel.""
Her voice softened.
"Naomi.""
"Tell me everything.""
A long pause.
Then:
"I can't.""
My anger returned instantly.
"Of course you can't.""
"Not over the phone.""
"Why?""
"Because they may be listening.""
I looked at the camera inside the closet.
My skin crawled.
"Who?""
Rachel lowered her voice.
"The same people who have been watching your family for years.""
"Who are they?""
"I'll tell you when I see you.""
I froze.
"When?""
"Tomorrow.""
"No.""
The answer came immediately.
"Tonight.""
I looked at the clock.
Nearly midnight.
"Rachel, I'm not leaving my baby.""
"You have to.""
"No.""
"Naomi, listen to me.""
Her voice broke.
"Your son is not just a child to them.""
I felt sick.
"What does that mean?""
"They believe he is the result of everything they spent years creating.""
I stared at Elijah.
"They think he's a project.""
"Yes.""
The word was quiet.
But it destroyed me.
I held my son tighter.
"Where are you?""
Rachel hesitated.
Then she gave me an address.
A place outside the city.
An abandoned farmhouse.
"Come alone.""
Daniel immediately shook his head.
"No.""
I looked at him.
Rachel heard him.
"He's there, isn't he?""
I didn't answer.
She sighed.
"Naomi, don't bring Daniel.""
My eyes moved to my husband.
"Why?""
Another pause.
"Because I don't know if he's still the same person who helped me.""
Daniel flinched.
"Rachel.""
Her voice sharpened.
"You know what you did.""
My stomach tightened.
"What did he do?""
Silence.
Then the call ended.
I stared at the phone.
The line was dead.
Daniel tried to stop me.
Of course he did.
"You can't go.""
I packed a small bag while Elijah slept upstairs.
"Watch me.""
"You don't know if that's really Rachel.""
I turned around.
"You know she is.""
His face tightened.
"Yes.""
The honesty surprised me.
"You know.""
"Yes.""
"Then why did you lie?""
Daniel looked broken.
"Because I was afraid.""
"Of what?""
He didn't answer.
I zipped the bag.
"Exactly.""
"Naomi, please.""
The desperation in his voice almost stopped me.
Almost.
"I spent twelve years thinking my sister abandoned us.""
"I know.""
"I spent twelve years wondering what I did wrong.""
"Naomi—"
"And all this time, you knew she was alive.""
Daniel closed his eyes.
"I tried to find her.""
"But you found nothing?""
"No.""
"Or you didn't want to?""
He looked at me.
The pain on his face was real.
But I couldn't let it erase what happened.
"Take care of Elijah while I'm gone.""
His eyes widened.
"You're leaving him with me?""
I paused.
It was the first time I had truly considered it.
Daniel saw the hesitation.
"Naomi.""
The fear in his voice changed.
"You think I would hurt him?""
I looked at him.
"I think I don't know anything anymore.""
Those words hurt both of us.
But they were true.
I walked upstairs.
Elijah was sleeping peacefully.
I stood beside his crib for a long time.
Memorizing him.
The curve of his cheek.
The tiny movement of his fingers.
The way his breathing changed when he dreamed.
I whispered:
"Mommy is going to find the truth.""
Then I left.
The drive took almost an hour.
The city lights disappeared behind me.
The roads became darker.
The trees became thicker.
Every few minutes, I checked my rearview mirror.
I didn't know if I was being followed.
I didn't know who I was supposed to fear anymore.
My father.
My mother.
My husband.
My own family.
The address led me to an old farmhouse surrounded by empty fields.
The house looked abandoned.
Broken windows.
Peeling paint.
A porch that sagged under its own weight.
I parked.
For a moment, I stayed inside the car.
Every instinct told me to leave.
But then I thought about Elijah.
And I opened the door.
The front door was already unlocked.
Inside, the air smelled like dust and old wood.
"Rachel?""
No answer.
I walked deeper.
"Rachel, it's me.""
A light turned on.
I froze.
A figure stood at the end of the hallway.
Older.
Thinner.
But unmistakable.
My breath caught.
"Rachel.""
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Naomi.""
Then suddenly, she was running toward me.
I didn't move.
I couldn't.
Because my mind still couldn't accept that she was real.
My sister wrapped her arms around me.
And after twelve years...
I finally cried.
Not the quiet tears I had hidden.
Not the polite sadness I showed people.
The kind of crying that comes from carrying something too heavy for too long.
"I'm sorry," Rachel whispered.
I pushed her away.
Not hard.
But enough.
"Why?""
Her face fell.
"Why didn't you come home?""
She looked down.
"Because every time I tried, someone stopped me.""
"Who?""
She looked at me.
"Our mother.""
My heart sank.
"Tell me the truth.""
Rachel nodded.
"I will.""
She walked toward a table covered with documents.
Photos.
Records.
Files.
"I discovered the foundation by accident.""
"What foundation?""
"The Carter Foundation.""
I already knew.
But hearing it from her made it real.
"Your father created it.""
"And my mother approved Elijah?""
Rachel nodded.
"Yes.""
"Why?""
Rachel picked up a file.
Then handed it to me.
Inside was a medical report.
My name.
Daniel's name.
And a date.
The day I found out I was pregnant.
Rachel pointed to a line.
"Read it.""
I did.
And my hands started shaking.
*Genetic compatibility confirmed.*
*Primary objective: producing optimal offspring.*
I looked at Rachel.
"What is this?""
She swallowed.
"Your pregnancy wasn't unexpected.""
I felt dizzy.
"What?""
"They planned it.""
"No.""
"Naomi—"
"No.""
I backed away.
"My baby was not planned by anyone.""
Rachel's eyes filled with sadness.
"I know.""
"Then why are you saying this?""
"Because it's the truth.""
I looked at the report again.
A date.
A signature.
A name.
My mother's signature.
And below it...
A note.
One sentence.
*If Naomi refuses, use Daniel.*
My heart stopped.
I looked at Rachel.
"What does that mean?""
She didn't answer.
"Rachel.""
Her voice was barely a whisper.
"It means Daniel wasn't chosen because he loved you.""
The room went silent.
"He was chosen because your family needed him.""
I felt like I couldn't breathe.
"No.""
"Naomi...""
"No.""
I shook my head.
"Daniel loves me.""
Rachel looked away.
"I hope he does.""
"Hope?""
She looked back at me.
"Because twelve years ago, when I confronted him about the program...""
She took a shaky breath.
"He made a choice.""
My heart pounded.
"What choice?""
Rachel opened another file.
Inside was a photograph.
Daniel.
My husband.
Standing beside my mother.
The date was twelve years ago.
The night Rachel disappeared.
May you like
And on the back of the photograph were six words:
*He chose them over his own wife.*
