Chapter 8: The Man Who Knew The Truth
I stared at the email.
My first instinct was to delete it.
Pretend I had never seen it.
Go back to the simple version of my life.
Gymnastics.
My mother.
Coach Sarah.
The future.
But I had spent my entire life proving I could face difficult things.
I couldn't suddenly run away from the hardest one.
"Who sent that?"" my mother asked.
I showed her.
Her face changed instantly.
"Don't reply.""
I looked at her.
"Why?""
"Because whoever sent it knows we're asking questions.""
Dr. Carter nodded.
"She's right.""
I looked at the message again.
"How would anyone know?""
Nobody answered.
That was the part that scared me.
Someone was watching.
The next morning, Coach Sarah picked me up from school.
She noticed immediately that something was wrong.
"You look like you haven't slept.""
I stared out the window.
"I found out my whole life has secrets.""
She didn't ask for details.
That was one thing I loved about Coach Sarah.
She never forced me to talk.
She waited.
Finally, I told her everything.
The hospital records.
My father.
The missing documents.
The email.
When I finished, she parked outside the gym.
"Maya.""
I looked at her.
"Do you remember what you told me before your first competition?""
I frowned.
"No.""
"You said you weren't scared of losing.""
I smiled faintly.
"What did I say?""
She looked at me.
"You said you were scared that people would decide who you were before they saw what you could do.""
I looked down.
She continued.
"This is the same fight.""
I sighed.
"Except now it's about my entire life.""
She nodded.
"Then take it one step at a time.""
That afternoon, Daniel flew to Dallas.
I wasn't sure why I agreed to meet him.
Maybe because I wanted answers.
Maybe because I wanted to understand the man who left.
We met at a quiet coffee shop.
When he walked in, I recognized him immediately from the photograph.
Older.
More tired.
But the same eyes.
He stopped when he saw me.
For a moment, he just looked at me.
Then he whispered:
"You look like your mother.""
I didn't know how to respond.
So I said the only thing I could.
"You don't look like someone who left seventeen years ago.""
His expression fell.
"I deserve that.""
We sat across from each other.
The conversation was awkward.
Two strangers sharing the same blood.
Finally, he opened a folder.
"I found this in an old storage box.""
Inside was a newspaper clipping.
A hospital announcement.
I read it.
Then I saw the date.
The week after I was born.
"What am I looking at?""
Daniel pointed to a name.
"That doctor.""
I looked closer.
Dr. Richard Vale.
The same doctor who signed the report.
"What about him?""
Daniel leaned forward.
"He wasn't just your doctor.""
I looked up.
"What do you mean?""
"He was the head of the research program at that hospital.""
My heart sank.
"Research?""
Daniel nodded.
"And three other families reported similar complications during that same year.""
I felt a chill.
"Are you saying...""
"I'm saying I don't know the whole story.""
He closed the folder.
"But someone does.""
Before I could ask who, the coffee shop door opened.
An older man walked inside.
He looked around.
Then his eyes stopped on me.
My father noticed him.
And his face went pale.
"Maya...""
I turned.
"Who is that?""
Daniel stood slowly.
The man's expression was filled with fear.
May you like
Then he said:
"That's Dr. Richard Vale.""
