Chapter 7: The Baby We Brought Home
The gunshot echoed through the basement.
For one terrible second, nobody moved.
Then Lily screamed.
I lunged toward her.
Mara stumbled backward, dropping the gun. Officer Daniels tackled her against the wall, and two other officers rushed down the staircase.
"Get the child!"" Daniels shouted.
I pulled Lily into my arms.
She buried her face against my neck.
"Daddy! Daddy!""
"I'm here. I've got you.""
I checked her quickly.
No blood.
No obvious injuries.
She was trembling so violently that I could barely hold her still.
Emily stood several feet away.
Her sleeve was stained with blood.
"Emily!""
She looked down.
"It's not mine.""
I reached for her.
"What did you mean?""
She stared at Lily.
"Ryan, I need to tell you something.""
"Then tell me.""
Officer Daniels was handcuffing Mara.
She was still smiling.
Even with her cheek pressed against the concrete, she looked amused.
"Don't listen to Emily," she said.
I turned.
"Shut up.""
Mara laughed.
"Ask your wife what happened in the delivery room.""
Emily flinched.
I tightened my hold on Lily.
"Tell me the truth.""
Emily wiped her face.
"When I gave birth to Lily, Mara was there.""
"I know.""
"No. You don't understand. She wasn't just visiting.""
She looked at the officers.
Then back at me.
"She had arranged everything with Dr. Price.""
"Arranged what?""
Emily swallowed.
"An exchange.""
The word seemed to hang in the room.
I stared at her.
"What exchange?""
Emily began crying.
"When Lily was born, Mara told me that one of the babies had died.""
I felt my chest tighten.
"What?""
"She said the other baby needed special medical care. She told me there had been complications.""
"Emily, we brought Lily home.""
"I know.""
"She was healthy.""
"I know!""
Emily's voice cracked.
"Ryan, the baby you held in the hospital wasn't the baby we brought home.""
I looked down at Lily.
My little girl.
The child I'd carried through the front door.
The child whose first steps I'd recorded.
The child who called me Daddy every morning.
"Then who is she?""
Emily shook her head.
"I don't know.""
Mara laughed from the floor.
"That's a lie.""
Daniels pulled her upright.
"Save it.""
Mara looked at Emily.
"You remember exactly what happened.""
Emily covered her ears.
"Stop.""
"You signed the papers.""
"Stop!""
"You agreed.""
Emily collapsed into a chair.
I handed Lily to one of the female officers.
"Please stay with her.""
Then I approached my wife.
"Start talking.""
Emily looked at me through tears.
"When I was pregnant with Lily, Mara told me she had discovered something about your family.""
"What?""
"Your father.""
I frowned.
"My father died when I was twenty.""
"I know.""
"What does he have to do with this?""
Emily hesitated.
"Before he died, he had a relationship with Mara's mother.""
I stared at her.
"That makes no sense.""
"Mara said her mother had been pregnant when your father left her.""
I shook my head.
"You're telling me Mara is my half-sister?""
Emily nodded.
I stepped backward.
"No.""
"She had documents.""
"That doesn't prove anything.""
"She showed me photographs.""
I looked toward Mara.
She was watching us.
Her expression had changed.
The smile was gone.
Emily continued.
"She said she had spent years trying to contact your father. When she finally found out he had died, she came looking for you.""
I couldn't believe it.
"Why didn't she tell me?""
"Because she wanted something.""
"What?""
Emily lowered her voice.
"She wanted to become part of your family.""
I looked at Mara.
She had stopped struggling.
"Why?""
Emily wiped her cheeks.
"She couldn't have children. At least, that's what she told me.""
Mara suddenly laughed.
"Tell him the rest.""
Emily shook her head.
"She wanted to have your children.""
I felt sick.
"What?""
"She said you were the only family she had left. She wanted children who would carry your father's family name.""
I stared at her.
"That's insane.""
"I know.""
"Then why did you help her?""
Emily looked at Lily.
"Because she threatened to expose something.""
"What?""
"Something I had done before we married.""
I waited.
Emily finally said it.
"She knew about the miscarriage.""
I froze.
"What miscarriage?""
Emily closed her eyes.
"Before Lily, I was pregnant once.""
I remembered.
Of course I remembered.
We had lost a pregnancy early in our marriage.
Emily had been devastated.
We had never discussed it much afterward.
"What does that have to do with Mara?""
Emily whispered:
"She said the baby hadn't died naturally.""
I felt my stomach turn.
"What?""
"She claimed someone had interfered with the medication I was taking.""
I stared at her.
"Who?""
Emily looked toward Mara.
"She said Mara had switched the bottles.""
A silence fell.
Mara's expression remained unreadable.
Daniels approached.
"Mrs. Carter, I need you to be very careful about what you're saying.""
Emily nodded.
"She told me she could prove it. She said if I went to the police, she would destroy my marriage.""
I looked at Mara.
"Did you do that?""
She didn't answer.
Instead, she looked at me.
"You really don't remember me, do you?""
I frowned.
"What?""
"We met long before Emily.""
I stared at her.
"Where?""
"Your father's funeral.""
A memory surfaced.
A blonde woman standing near the cemetery entrance.
Crying.
I'd assumed she was one of my father's former colleagues.
Mara continued.
"He told me you would take care of me.""
I felt cold.
"He never mentioned you.""
"Because he was ashamed.""
Daniels interrupted.
"That's enough. You're coming with us.""
Mara looked at Emily.
"Tell him about the baby.""
Emily began shaking.
"Which baby?""
"The one you gave away.""
I turned toward my wife.
"Emily?""
She looked at Lily.
Then whispered:
"When we brought Lily home, I knew something was wrong.""
My heart pounded.
"What do you mean?""
"She had a small birthmark behind her left ear. The baby in the hospital didn't have one.""
I looked at Lily.
Her blonde hair fell over her ears.
I gently moved it aside.
There it was.
A small, pale crescent-shaped birthmark.
I'd seen it thousands of times.
I'd kissed it.
I'd brushed her hair around it.
Emily continued.
"Mara said it was a medical mistake. She told me the hospital had mixed up the paperwork.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because she said the other baby had died.""
I stared at her.
"And you believed her?""
Emily began crying harder.
"I wanted to.""
Officer Daniels looked at the medical file.
"There's something else.""
He opened the folder containing the original birth records.
"According to these documents, Emily Carter delivered a female infant at 2:14 a.m. The infant was transferred to another room at 2:31 a.m.""
He turned another page.
"At 3:06 a.m., a second infant was registered under the same maternal identification.""
I stared.
"Two babies?""
"Yes.""
"Was Emily pregnant with twins?""
He shook his head.
"No.""
He looked at the next page.
"The second infant was recorded as having been born to Mara Bell.""
I looked at Mara.
She was watching me.
"Which baby came home?""
She smiled faintly.
"That's what you've been trying to figure out.""
Daniels continued reading.
"There's a transfer authorization signed by Dr. Evelyn Price.""
He paused.
Then his expression hardened.
"Wait.""
"What?""
He turned the document toward me.
The authorization contained a handwritten note.
Infant A to Carter residence. Infant B to Bell residence. Infant C remains confidential.
I stared at the words.
Three infants.
Three destinations.
But we had only brought one baby home.
"Where is Infant C?""
Nobody answered.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
A little boy's voice came through.
"Daddy?""
I stopped breathing.
"Who is this?""
"My name is Noah.""
I looked at the file in Daniels' hands.
The little boy continued.
"Mommy said you would come get me.""
"Where are you?""
A pause.
Then:
"With the lady who lives in the blue house.""
I looked at Mara.
Her face had turned white.
For the first time since I had met her, she looked genuinely afraid.
"Ryan," she whispered.
I turned toward her.
She shook her head.
"Don't let him tell you where he is.""
The phone crackled.
Then Noah whispered:
"Daddy, there's another girl here.""
A faint sound followed.
A little girl's voice.
"Are you coming to get me too?""
The call ended.
Daniels immediately ordered a trace.
I looked at Mara.
"Who is that girl?""
She said nothing.
Emily slowly stood.
Her face was drained of color.
May you like
Then she whispered:
"Grace.""
