Chapter 3: My Mother's Signature
For several seconds, I couldn't breathe.
My mother's name sat beneath a sworn statement declaring that I was mentally unfit to raise Lily.
Margaret Wilson.
My mother.
The woman who had stayed beside me during labor.
The woman who had helped me choose Lily's first crib.
The woman who had once promised she would never let anyone hurt her granddaughter.
I took the document from Vanessa.
It was dated three months earlier.
Three months before Daniel had announced his supposed business trip.
Three months before I had any reason to suspect he was planning to leave.
The statement contained allegations about my behavior.
It claimed I suffered from severe emotional instability, had difficulty maintaining employment, and regularly neglected Lily.
Every accusation was false.
But the document included details that made my blood run cold.
My work schedule.
My doctor's office.
The address of Lily's school.
Even the name of the medication I had briefly taken after suffering from postpartum anxiety years earlier.
Information that only a few people knew.
I looked at Daniel.
“Why is my mother involved?””
He stared at the floor.
“Sarah, I can explain.””
“Stop saying that. Just answer me.””
He swallowed.
“Your mother wanted what's best for Lily.””
I laughed, but there was no humor in it.
“By declaring her own daughter mentally unfit?””
“She believed you weren't giving Lily the life she deserved.””
“And you agreed?””
Daniel rubbed his temples.
“Sarah, things haven't been good between us for a long time.””
“So you decided to steal my child?””
“I'm trying to save Nathan!””
“And I am trying to understand why my own family is plotting against me!””
The security officer stepped closer.
“Ma'am, we've contacted airport police. I recommend that you don't discuss any further details without an attorney present.””
I nodded.
But my eyes remained on the document.
There was another signature at the bottom.
A witness.
I recognized that name, too.
Evelyn Brooks.
My mother's closest friend.
She had been Lily's godmother.
I felt sick.
“How many people knew?””
Daniel didn't answer.
Vanessa looked at the paperwork again.
“Sarah, there's something else.””
She pointed to an attachment behind the statement.
It was a list of proposed living arrangements.
The first address was in London.
The second was my mother-in-law's house in Atlanta.
The third was a private residential property owned by a company called Carter Family Holdings.
I had never heard of it.
“What's Carter Family Holdings?”” I asked.
Daniel shifted in his chair.
“It's a family investment company.””
“Why is my daughter listed as a future resident?””
He looked at Vanessa.
She shook her head.
“Don't look at me. You told me the company was set up for Nathan's medical expenses.””
I examined the page.
A handwritten note appeared in the margin.
Transfer Lily before final donor evaluation. Secure guardianship first.
My knees nearly buckled.
The words weren't about protecting Lily.
They were about securing control of her.
The officer carefully collected the documents.
“Mrs. Carter, we're going to make sure your daughter remains with you while this is investigated. Is there anyone you can call to assist you?””
I immediately thought of my mother.
Then I remembered her signature.
“No,” I said.
“Not my mother.””
Lily tugged at my sleeve.
“Mommy, can we go home now?””
I knelt in front of her.
“Yes, sweetheart.””
“Is Daddy mad at me?””
My heart broke.
I brushed a strand of hair from her forehead.
“No. You did absolutely nothing wrong.””
“Then why is everyone shouting?””
I pulled her into my arms.
“Because grown-ups sometimes make very bad decisions. But I promise you, nobody is taking you anywhere without keeping you safe.””
Daniel stood.
“Sarah, let me talk to Lily.””
“No.””
“She's my daughter.””
“She was waiting for you with flowers.””
His eyes moved toward the bouquet.
“I know.””
“She practiced what she was going to say to you for two weeks. She thought you'd be happy to see her.””
Daniel's lips trembled.
“I'm sorry.””
I looked at him.
“Were you planning to tell her goodbye before or after you put her on that plane?””
He couldn't answer.
A few minutes later, two airport police officers arrived.
They separated Daniel and Vanessa to take their statements.
One officer escorted me and Lily to a private room while another arranged for the disputed travel documents to be reviewed.
I sat beside my daughter.
The white roses rested on the table.
Their petals were beginning to curl.
My phone buzzed.
A message from my mother.
Sarah, don't make things difficult. Daniel told me everything. You need to understand that Nathan's life is at stake.
I stared at the screen.
Then another message arrived.
Lily belongs with her father's family until this is over.
I read it twice.
My hands shook as I typed.
Did you sign a statement saying I'm mentally unfit?
The typing indicator appeared.
Disappeared.
Then appeared again.
Finally, she replied.
I did what I had to do.
I felt something inside me shatter.
Before I could respond, another message appeared.
You should have trusted us. There are things about Lily you don't know.
I looked toward my daughter.
She was drawing a picture of our family on the back of her welcome-home card.
Three people.
Mommy.
Daddy.
Lily.
But she had crossed out Daddy's smiling face and drawn a question mark instead.
I turned back to my phone.
My mother was calling.
I answered.
“Mom, what do you mean there are things about Lily I don't know?””
Her voice was unusually quiet.
“Sarah, listen to me carefully. Daniel didn't come up with this plan alone.””
“Who helped him?””
There was a long silence.
Then she whispered something that made my blood run cold all over again.
“Your father.””
I froze.
“My father has been dead for twelve years.””
“I know.””
“Then what are you talking about?””
My mother began crying.
“Sarah, the man who raised you wasn't your biological father. And Daniel found out something about Lily that changed everything.””
Before I could ask another question, she said:
“Your daughter may be the only person who can save Nathan. But that's not the real reason Daniel wants custody.””
The call suddenly disconnected.
I stared at my phone.
Then an airport police officer appeared in the doorway, holding a separate document recovered from Daniel's carry-on bag.
“Mrs. Carter?””
I stood.
“What is it?””
He hesitated before placing the paper in front of me.
“Your husband has apparently been communicating with someone about your daughter's biological family.””
I looked at the top of the page.
There was a photograph attached.
A newborn baby.
And beneath it was a hospital record dated seven years earlier.
May you like
The name listed as the biological father wasn't Daniel Carter.
It was a man I had buried twelve years ago.
