Chapter 14: The Daughter Who Thought She Was Abandoned
Nora's foster placement was in a quiet neighborhood outside Knoxville.
Harris arranged for us to meet her through the appropriate child welfare representatives.
I couldn't stop looking at the photograph on his phone during the drive.
She had dark brown hair.
A small nose.
And a dimple on her left cheek.
The same dimple Maya had.
The same dimple Lily had.
Claire sat beside me, crying quietly.
"Do you think she'll want to see us?""
I kept my eyes on the road.
"I don't know.""
"What if she hates me?""
I didn't answer.
Claire wiped her cheeks.
"I deserve that.""
For once, I didn't argue.
When we arrived, a woman named Mrs. Collins greeted us at the front door.
She was Nora's foster mother.
She spoke gently.
"She's been told that some people want to meet her. But we haven't told her everything yet.""
I nodded.
"Thank you for taking care of her.""
Mrs. Collins smiled sadly.
"She's a wonderful little girl.""
We entered a small living room.
There were children's drawings on the refrigerator and a pink backpack beside the sofa.
A little girl sat cross-legged on the carpet, arranging colored pencils.
She looked up.
"Are you the people from the hospital?""
Harris crouched.
"Yes, Nora. These are Marcus and Claire.""
Nora studied us.
"Why are you here?""
Claire opened her mouth.
But no words came.
I knelt instead.
"There's something important we'd like to explain. Your birth records suggest that you may have been separated from your biological family when you were a baby.""
Nora looked confused.
"Does that mean my real mommy and daddy are dead?""
My chest tightened.
"No, sweetheart. It means we're trying to understand what happened.""
She stared at Claire.
"Is she my mommy?""
Claire began crying.
"Yes, baby.""
Nora frowned.
"But my mommy said I was found at the hospital.""
Mrs. Collins gently touched her shoulder.
"That's what your earlier records said, sweetheart. But we're learning that those records may not have been correct.""
Nora looked down at her colored pencils.
"Does that mean I have brothers and sisters?""
I swallowed.
"Yes.""
"How many?""
I smiled through the tears.
"Two sisters.""
Her eyes widened.
"Two?""
I nodded.
"Maya and Lily.""
Nora looked toward Mrs. Collins.
"Do they know about me?""
"They do," I said.
"Do they want to meet me?""
I felt my voice crack.
"They've been waiting to meet you.""
Nora looked at Claire again.
"Why didn't you come before?""
Claire slowly moved closer.
"I didn't know where you were, sweetheart.""
"But you knew I was born?""
Claire closed her eyes.
"Not everything. I was told something terrible happened. I was told you didn't survive.""
Nora looked puzzled.
"Why didn't you check?""
Claire began sobbing.
"Because I believed someone who lied to me.""
Nora didn't move.
I couldn't blame her.
Eight years of unanswered questions wouldn't disappear because a woman suddenly appeared claiming to be her mother.
Mrs. Collins brought out a small photo album.
"I've kept Nora's early photographs and documents together. Some of the original papers were sent to the authorities.""
She opened the album.
There was a photograph of Nora as a toddler.
Then another at four.
Another at six.
I noticed something in the background of the oldest picture.
A yellow stuffed rabbit.
I looked at Nora.
"Where did you get that rabbit?""
She smiled for the first time.
"I don't have it anymore. I lost it when I was little.""
Claire suddenly covered her mouth.
I thought of Lily's yellow rabbit.
Two identical toys.
Three sisters.
Then Mrs. Collins showed us a medical summary.
"There's something else. Nora has been monitored for a rare inherited condition. Her previous specialist mentioned a possible connection to another child at a private facility.""
I stared.
"Dr. Daniel Reed?""
She nodded.
"He contacted the agency several times, asking for access to her records. The requests were denied.""
Harris took the document.
"Do you have copies of those requests?""
"I do.""
She handed him a folder.
The first request was dated five years earlier.
The second was three years earlier.
The third was from two months ago.
Every request had been submitted using the name of the Bennett Pediatric Research Trust.
I looked at Harris.
"He's been tracking her too.""
Harris nodded.
"That appears to be the case.""
Nora watched us.
"Is that bad?""
I knelt beside her again.
"An adult made decisions about you that weren't right. We're making sure nobody does that again.""
She considered my answer.
Then she asked:
"Can I meet Maya and Lily?""
I smiled.
"Yes.""
Nora hesitated.
"Can I bring something?""
"Of course.""
She ran upstairs and returned with a small cardboard box.
Inside were three bracelets.
They were made of colored beads.
One was purple.
One was yellow.
One was blue.
"I made them for my sisters," she explained.
"How did you know you had sisters?""
She shrugged.
"I dreamed about them sometimes.""
Claire started crying again.
Nora handed me the bracelets.
"Can you give them to Maya and Lily?""
I nodded.
"I promise.""
Before we left, Harris received a call.
He listened for several seconds.
Then his expression hardened.
"Understood. We'll be there.""
I turned toward him.
"What happened?""
He looked at me.
"Investigators have searched Reed Family Medical Center. They've recovered original laboratory files and financial records.""
"What do they say?""
"Daniel was conducting an unauthorized pediatric study. The three girls were listed under different identities.""
Claire sat down.
"Why?""
Harris opened his notebook.
"Because the records show three different patient responses. One child was classified as the treatment group. One was the comparison subject. And the third was listed as an external control.""
I stared at him.
"What does that mean?""
"It means Daniel was using the children's medical histories to support research claims that may never have been legitimate.""
My stomach turned.
"And the medicine?""
"That will be established through the testing and medical investigation. But the records raise serious concerns about its administration.""
I looked at Nora.
She was still holding her colored pencils.
A little girl who had spent eight years believing she was unwanted.
I turned toward Claire.
"Did you know there were three different classifications?""
She shook her head.
"No.""
Then she reached into her handbag and removed an old photograph.
It showed Daniel standing beside my mother.
They were outside a hospital.
On the back, Evelyn had written:
The day I discovered the truth.
Claire looked at the photograph.
"I've seen this before.""
I turned toward her.
"When?""
"After your mother died. Daniel sent it to me.""
"Why?""
She looked at the date.
"Because he wanted me to keep following his instructions.""
I stared at her.
"What instructions?""
She took a shaky breath.
"He said if I ever stopped cooperating, he'd expose the fact that I had agreed to separate the children.""
My jaw tightened.
"So he blackmailed you.""
She nodded.
"Yes.""
For the first time, I understood why she had continued answering Daniel's calls.
It didn't excuse what she'd done.
But it explained the fear behind every desperate lie.
My phone rang.
Dr. Simmons.
I answered.
"Marcus, Maya is stable. The medical team has reviewed the latest results and wants to discuss a longer-term care plan.""
I exhaled.
"Thank God.""
She paused.
"There's something else. Maya has been asking about Lily and Nora.""
I smiled.
"Tell her we're coming.""
Then I hung up.
As we prepared to leave, Nora ran toward me.
"Mr. Marcus?""
I turned.
"Yes, sweetheart?""
She held out a drawing.
Three little girls stood beneath a giant yellow sun.
Above them was a sentence written in crooked letters.
*I THINK WE HAVE THE SAME SMILE.*
I folded the drawing carefully and placed it in my jacket pocket.
For the first time in eight years, all three sisters were on the same path.
But there was still one person we hadn't confronted.
May you like
Daniel Reed.
And Harris had just received confirmation that he was trying to leave the country.
