Chapter 12: The Mother Who Lost Her Daughter
Nobody spoke.
The photograph lay on the floor between us.
A younger version of my mother stared back.
Her face was different.
Younger.
But unmistakable.
Emily picked it up slowly.
“She’s my birth mother?””
Rachel nodded.
“Yes.””
I felt like I was falling apart.
“No.””
Everyone looked at me.
“No.””
I looked at Rachel.
“You’re saying my mother gave birth to Emily?””
Rachel’s expression softened.
“Yes.””
My entire childhood rearranged itself.
My mother.
My father.
The adoption.
The secrets.
Everything.
Emily looked at me.
“Mom…”
I couldn’t look away from the photograph.
“My parents were my grandparents?””
Rachel nodded.
“Biologically.””
Emily sat down.
“So Grandma knew?””
“Yes.””
“And Grandpa?””
“Yes.””
“Everyone knew except me.””
The pain in her voice broke something inside me.
I moved closer.
“Emily.””
She looked at me.
“Did you know?””
The question destroyed me.
Because I didn’t have a simple answer.
“No.””
She searched my face.
“Really?””
“No.””
I took her hand.
“I knew nothing.””
For the first time in days, she believed me.
But that didn’t fix anything.
Rachel sat across from us.
“There’s more.””
I closed my eyes.
Of course there was.
“What else?””
Rachel looked at Emily.
“The pregnancy is why Michael started moving again.””
Daniel frowned.
“What does that mean?””
Rachel explained.
“Michael thought the secret would stay buried forever. But when Emily became pregnant, he realized there could be another generation asking questions.””
Emily touched her stomach.
“You mean my baby?””
Rachel nodded.
“He was afraid the truth would continue.””
I looked at Rachel.
“Who is the father?””
Nobody answered.
That scared me.
Because that was still the question that started everything.
Emily looked down.
“I can tell you now.””
All of us turned toward her.
She took a deep breath.
“The father is…”
She stopped.
Tears filled her eyes.
“I don’t know how to explain it.””
“Try,” I whispered.
She looked at Rachel.
Then at me.
“Grandpa knew.””
My heart sank.
“Knew what?””
Emily wiped her face.
“He knew who it was.””
Daniel stood.
“Who?””
Emily reached into her bag.
She pulled out another envelope.
“I found this after Grandpa left.””
My fingers shook as I opened it.
Inside was a letter.
Not from my father.
From someone else.
The handwriting was familiar.
Too familiar.
I read the first line.
*Sarah, I am sorry. I should have told you before she found out herself.*
My blood went cold.
Because I knew that handwriting too.
It belonged to my mother.
I continued reading.
*The baby Emily carries is not the result of what everyone thinks.*
I looked at Emily.
Then the next sentence.
*The father is connected to the same secret that destroyed our family eighteen years ago.*
The room went silent.
Then one final line appeared.
A name.
A name that made Daniel step backward.
A name that made Rachel cover her mouth.
A name that made Emily start crying.
May you like
Because the father of Emily’s baby was not a stranger.
It was someone we had trusted our entire lives.
