Chapter 2 - The Daughter Who Shouldn't Exist
I stared at Maria.
"Say that again."
She swallowed.
"Ethan's mother is alive."
"I heard that part."
My voice hardened.
"Who is she?"
Maria closed her eyes.
"Her name is Lily Bennett."
"How old?"
"Twenty-six."
That meant nothing.
Until Maria added:
"I didn't give birth to her."
Silence.
Ethan frowned.
"Grandma?"
Maria immediately knelt beside him.
"Honey, go with Mr. Cross."
"No."
"Ethan."
"I want my mom."
Daniel looked at me.
I nodded.
"Take him to the kitchen. Chocolate milk."
Ethan narrowed his eyes.
"Two cookies."
Daniel almost smiled.
"Three."
"Deal."
Once they were gone, I locked the door.
"Talk."
Maria sat down.
"Seven years ago, I worked nights at St. Matthew's Medical Center."
I knew the hospital.
I'd spent six months there after the explosion.
"One night," she continued, "a young woman arrived badly injured. Burns. Head trauma. Pregnant."
My chest tightened.
"No."
"She didn't remember her name."
"No."
"Doctors performed an emergency C-section."
I grabbed the arm of my wheelchair.
Maria's voice trembled.
"The baby survived."
Claire whispered, "My God."
I looked at Maria.
"You're telling me Eleanor survived?"
"I don't know."
"Don't lie to me!"
"I'm not!"
Maria stood.
"The woman disappeared."
"How?"
"I don't know. I came back for my shift and her room was empty. Staff told me she'd been transferred."
"And the baby?"
"Stayed behind."
"Why?"
"Because someone had falsified the records."
My mouth went dry.
"What records?"
Maria looked directly at me.
"The baby's birth certificate listed the mother as deceased."
I couldn't speak.
"And the father?" Claire asked.
Maria shook her head.
"Blank."
"Where did the child go?"
"Foster care."
I understood before she finished.
"Lily."
Maria nodded.
"I followed her case. Eventually, when nobody claimed her, I became her foster mother. Later I adopted her."
I felt sick.
"Lily is my daughter?"
"I don't know."
"You know something."
Maria reached into her pocket.
She placed an old photograph on the piano.
A young woman stood beside her.
Lily.
Dark hair.
Gray eyes.
Eleanor's eyes.
And around her neck was Eleanor's silver pendant.
I whispered, "Where is she?"
"Working."
"Call her."
"Mr. Wolfe—"
"Call her."
Maria hesitated.
Then dialed.
"Lily?"
A woman's voice answered.
"Mom? Is Ethan okay?"
"He's fine."
"Then what's wrong?"
Maria looked at me.
"Someone recognized the bracelet."
Silence.
Then:
"Who?"
Maria couldn't answer.
I leaned toward the phone.
"Adrian Wolfe."
The line went dead.
I stared at Maria.
"Why did she hang up?"
Maria's face had gone white.
"Because three months ago, Lily received a letter."
"What letter?"
"It said if Adrian Wolfe ever learned Ethan existed..."
May you like
She paused.
"They would both die."
