Chapter 9: The Hospital
The sentence hit me like a physical blow.
“What did you just say?””
Sarah backed away.
“I can't.””
“You're going to.””
Michael stared at her.
“You took me?””
“No.””
“Then what baby did you take?””
Sarah shook her head.
“I don't know.””
Thomas stepped forward.
“You know exactly what happened.””
Sarah looked at him.
“You weren't there.””
“No.””
“But Laura was.””
Sarah closed her eyes.
“And Emily was.””
I felt my chest tighten.
“Start at the beginning.””
Sarah sat down.
Her hands shook so badly she could barely clasp them.
“Sixteen years ago, Laura went into labor.””
Claire stood beside her.
“She called me from the hospital.””
Sarah nodded.
“She was terrified.””
“Why?””
“Because she had discovered Thomas's organization was taking babies.””
Thomas's jaw tightened.
“I was trying to expose them.””
Sarah looked at him.
“You were too late.””
“What happened?”” I asked.
Sarah swallowed.
“Laura gave birth to Michael.””
Michael stared at her.
“I was born there?””
“Yes.””
“Who was my father?””
Sarah looked at me.
“I don't know.””
Michael's face fell.
Sarah continued.
“Laura wanted to leave the hospital with him.””
“But?””
“There was an order.””
“What order?””
“A transfer order.””
“To where?””
“A private facility.””
Claire stepped forward.
“Who signed it?””
Sarah's voice became barely audible.
“Thomas.””
Thomas shook his head.
“I never signed that.””
Sarah looked at him.
“You did.””
“I didn't.””
“You don't remember?””
“No.””
I looked between them.
Someone was lying.
Or someone had been manipulated.
Sarah continued.
“Laura refused to surrender the baby.””
“So what happened?””
“They came for him.””
“Who?””
“Two men.””
“Names?””
“I don't know.””
“What did they do?””
“They took the baby.””
Michael's face crumpled.
Sarah looked at him.
“I tried to stop them.””
“You?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because Laura begged me.””
I stepped closer.
“Then how did Michael end up with Emily?””
Sarah looked at me.
“He didn't.””
I froze.
“What?””
Sarah's eyes filled with tears.
“The baby they took wasn't Michael.””
Silence.
Michael stared at her.
“Then who was it?””
Sarah whispered:
“Another baby.””
Claire suddenly sat down.
“Oh God.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
She covered her face.
“I understand.””
“What do you understand?””
Claire looked at Michael.
“Laura's baby was never taken.””
Sarah nodded.
“Correct.””
“Then where was he?””
Sarah looked at me.
“With Emily.””
My mind couldn't process it.
“Emily had Michael?””
“Yes.””
“But Emily didn't give birth to him.””
“No.””
“Then how?””
Sarah's voice broke.
“Laura gave him to her.””
Thomas stepped forward.
“Why?””
“Because Laura knew they were coming.””
I stared at Sarah.
“She gave her baby away?””
“To save him.””
Michael whispered, “She gave me to Mom?””
“Yes.””
“Why didn't she come back?””
Sarah looked at him.
“She tried.””
“When?””
“Four years later.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
“Laura came back.””
“When?””
“The night Emily died.””
The room went silent.
I could barely breathe.
“You're saying Laura was there that night?””
Sarah nodded.
“She found Emily.””
“Where?””
“At the intersection.””
“What happened?””
“Emily had been driving to meet her.””
“Why?””
“Because Emily finally knew where Laura was.””
Thomas stepped forward.
“What happened after the crash?””
Sarah looked at him.
“You know.””
“I know what you told me.””
Sarah shook her head.
“No. You know what I wanted you to believe.””
She turned toward me.
“Emily survived the crash.””
I closed my eyes.
“I know.””
“No.””
Sarah shook her head.
“She survived long enough to talk.””
“What did she say?””
“She asked for Michael.””
I felt tears burn my eyes.
“She asked if he was safe.””
“What did Laura do?””
“She came to the hospital.””
I looked at Thomas.
He was staring at the floor.
“She was alive,” Sarah whispered.
“Where is she now?””
Sarah hesitated.
“I don't know.””
“Sarah.””
“I don't.””
“You've known all this time.””
“I knew she was alive that night.””
“What happened?””
Sarah took a shaky breath.
“Laura went into Emily's hospital room.””
My heart pounded.
“What did they say?””
“Emily apologized.””
“For what?””
“For keeping Michael.””
“Why?””
“Because Laura had agreed to let Emily raise him.””
I stared at the floor.
“Then why was there a fight?””
Sarah looked toward Thomas.
“Because someone else came into the room.””
“Who?””
Sarah whispered:
“Rachel.””
Thomas went still.
“My wife?””
“Yes.””
“What did she want?””
“Michael.””
I looked at Michael.
Sarah continued.
“She believed Emily had stolen her child.””
“She was wrong.””
“She didn't care.””
“What happened?””
“Rachel attacked Laura.””
Thomas shook his head.
“No.””
“Yes.””
“She couldn't have.””
“She did.””
“Where is Laura?””
Sarah's eyes filled with tears.
“She disappeared.””
“Disappeared?””
“She was alive when she left the hospital.””
Thomas stared at her.
“You told me she died.””
“I was afraid.””
“Of Rachel?””
Sarah shook her head.
“No.””
She looked at me.
“Of Emily.””
I frowned.
“Why would you be afraid of Emily?””
“Because after Laura disappeared, Emily found me.””
“What did she say?””
Sarah's voice dropped.
“She told me that if I ever told you the truth, she would make sure Michael never knew who his real mother was.””
I stared at her.
“That doesn't sound like Emily.””
“I know.””
“Then why did she say it?””
Sarah reached into her purse.
She pulled out a final photograph.
It showed Emily standing outside the hospital.
Beside her was a woman I recognized from the newborn photograph.
Laura.
But there was something else.
A third person stood behind them.
A man.
His face was blurred.
Except for one detail.
A distinctive silver ring.
I had seen that ring before.
On someone sitting in my dining room.
I looked at David.
He instinctively covered his right hand.
The ring was gone.
My blood ran cold.
“You.””
David backed away.
“Marcus…”
“You were at the hospital.””
“No.””
“You knew Laura.””
“No.””
“You knew about Michael.””
He shook his head.
“I didn't know.””
I grabbed his wrist.
The ring had left a pale mark around his finger.
The exact shape from the photograph.
Thomas stared at him.
“You told me you weren't there.””
David said nothing.
Claire stood.
“David, what did you do?””
He looked at Michael.
Then at me.
“I didn't hurt Laura.””
“Then what did you do?””
His eyes filled with tears.
“I took her.””
Michael gasped.
“You kidnapped my mother?””
“No.””
David shook his head violently.
“I was trying to save her.””
“From who?””
“Rachel.””
I stared at him.
“Where is she?””
David's voice broke.
“I put her somewhere safe.””
“Where?””
He looked toward the window.
“She's been there ever since.””
“Where, David?””
He finally answered.
And the name he gave me made my entire body go numb.
“The house next door.””
I turned toward the window.
The house beside ours had been empty for years.
At least, that's what I'd believed.
Then the porch light came on.
A woman stepped into the upstairs window.
She lifted her hand.
Even from across the street, I could see the silver bracelet around her wrist.
Laura's bracelet.
Michael stared at the window.
“Dad…”
The woman pressed her palm against the glass.
May you like
And then she mouthed two words.
*My son.*
