Chapter 7 - The Woman Who Wouldn’t Let GoVanessa Reed did not think of herself as a villain.
Three weeks had passed.
Lauren had agreed to tell Mia the truth gradually with help from a child therapist.
Dr. Allison Grant had warned them not to overwhelm her.
“No villains,” she said.
Lauren almost laughed.
“If only.”
“No complicated adult betrayal. She needs a child-sized truth.”
Daniel nodded.
“What does that sound like?”
“That her dad loved her before she was born, but because of a serious mistake, he believed she had died. Her mother didn’t know he believed that. Now the truth has been discovered.”
Lauren crossed her arms.
“And the fact that he left during labor?”
Daniel looked down.
Dr. Grant answered carefully.
“She can learn difficult details when she’s older. Right now, telling her that may cause her to fear abandonment.”
Lauren hated the idea of protecting Daniel.
But she understood protecting Mia.
That evening they sat together in Lauren’s living room.
Mia hugged Mr. Henry.
Daniel sat across from her.
Lauren remained beside Mia.
“Mia,” Lauren began, “remember when you asked about your daddy?”
Mia nodded.
“There’s something important we need to tell you.”
Her eyes moved to Daniel.
Children sometimes understand before adults are ready.
Mia whispered, “Is he my daddy?”
Lauren’s throat tightened.
Daniel froze.
“How did you know?” Lauren asked.
Mia shrugged.
“He looks at me funny.”
Daniel laughed nervously.
“What kind of funny?”
“Like Mommy looks at baby pictures.”
Lauren pressed her lips together.
Mia turned toward Daniel.
“Are you?”
He looked at Lauren.
She nodded.
Daniel crouched in front of Mia.
“Yes.”
Mia stared.
“You’re my dad?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Like for real forever?”
Daniel’s eyes filled.
“For real forever.”
Mia looked at Lauren.
“Did you know?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Lauren stroked her hair.
“Because your daddy and I only learned some very important things recently, and we wanted to make sure we explained them correctly.”
Mia frowned.
“Where was he?”
Daniel answered.
“I thought you weren’t here anymore.”
“What?”
“When you were a baby, you got very sick.”
“I know. My lungs were tiny.”
“Yes.”
“A mistake happened at the hospital. Someone told me you had gone to heaven.”
Mia’s expression became solemn.
“But I didn’t.”
“No.”
Daniel’s voice broke.
“You didn’t.”
“Did you cry?”
Lauren looked at him.
Daniel nodded.
“A lot.”
“How much?”
He smiled through tears.
“Probably enough to fill your bathtub.”
Mia considered this.
“That’s a lot.”
“It was.”
“Then you found me?”
“Yes.”
“At the hospital?”
“Yes.”
“When I couldn’t breathe?”
Daniel nodded.
Mia suddenly smiled.
“So you saved me before you knew?”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“The doctors saved you.”
“You held my hand.”
“That part I did.”
Mia climbed off the couch.
Daniel expected questions.
Instead, she wrapped both arms around his neck.
His entire body went rigid.
Then she whispered into his shoulder.
“Daddy.”
Daniel’s eyes closed.
Lauren covered her mouth.
He held Mia carefully, almost reverently.
“Say it again,” he whispered.
“Daddy.”
A sob escaped him.
Mia pulled back.
“Why are you crying?”
“I’m happy.”
“Adults are weird.”
Lauren laughed through her own tears.
“Yes.”
Daniel looked at her over Mia’s shoulder.
For one brief moment, the past disappeared.
They weren’t divorced.
They weren’t angry.
They were simply two parents looking at the miracle they had nearly lost.
Then the doorbell rang.
Lauren frowned.
She wasn’t expecting anyone.
She opened the door.
A woman stood outside.
Mid-forties.
Dark coat.
Nervous eyes.
“Lauren Parker?”
“Yes?”
“My name is Celeste Warren.”
Daniel stood instantly.
Celeste saw him.
Her face paled.
“I need to talk to both of you.”
Lauren looked toward Mia.
“Not here.”
Twenty minutes later, Lauren’s sister took Mia upstairs.
Celeste sat at the kitchen table.
Her hands shook.
Daniel stood against the counter.
Lauren remained across from Celeste.
“Why are you here?” Daniel asked.
“Because Vanessa called me.”
His jaw tightened.
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
“What did she want?”
“She wanted me to leave the country.”
Lauren stared.
“What?”
“She offered money.”
Daniel’s voice went cold.
“How much?”
“Two hundred thousand.”
Celeste looked ashamed.
“I said no.”
“Why should we believe you?” Lauren asked.
“You shouldn’t.”
At least the answer was honest.
Celeste reached into her bag.
“I kept something.”
A USB drive.
Daniel stared.
“What is it?”
“Security footage.”
“From St. Matthew’s.”
Lauren inhaled sharply.
Celeste nodded.
“There was an internal investigation after the infant notification error. Administration ordered footage from the desk archived.”
“Why do you have it?”
“I copied it before it disappeared.”
Daniel’s expression darkened.
“Did you delete the original?”
Celeste nodded.
Lauren stood abruptly.
“You erased evidence?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Celeste started crying.
“Because Vanessa paid me.”
Daniel’s hand curled into a fist.
“What happened that night?”
Celeste wiped her face.
“I was working administrative night coverage. Nurse Hale told me the deceased infant notification had gone to the wrong Parker family.”
Daniel said nothing.
“She told me your daughter had survived and had been transferred to Boston Children’s.”
Lauren’s face crumpled.
Celeste continued.
“I started correcting the system.”
“And?”
“Vanessa came to the desk.”
“Why?”
“She had seen you leave.”
Daniel frowned.
“I drove her home.”
“No.”
Celeste shook her head.
“You drove her to a hotel.”
Daniel froze.
Memory returned.
Vanessa had said her apartment building elevator was broken after the accident.
She asked to stay at the hotel across the street.
Daniel had walked her upstairs.
He had fallen asleep in the chair.
Celeste continued.
“She came back after you fell asleep.”
Lauren looked sick.
“What did she say?”
“She asked whether Lauren’s baby had died.”
“And you told her?”
“I said there was confusion.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“What exactly?”
Celeste’s voice trembled.
“I told her the baby believed deceased might actually belong to another family.”
Lauren gripped the table.
Daniel whispered, “So she knew.”
“Yes.”
The room became silent.
“She knew Mia could be alive,” Lauren said.
“Yes.”
Daniel’s face drained.
“What did Vanessa ask you to do?”
Celeste looked directly at him.
“Nothing at first.”
“Then?”
“She offered me ten thousand dollars not to call you until morning.”
Daniel stared.
“Why?”
“She said you were emotionally unstable. That you had been drinking.”
“I hadn’t.”
“I know.”
“She said Lauren was planning to leave you anyway.”
Lauren laughed bitterly.
“I was giving birth.”
Celeste looked down.
“I refused.”
Daniel waited.
“What changed?”
“She offered thirty-five thousand.”
“The transfer.”
“Yes.”
“And you took it.”
“I had gambling debts.”
Lauren shook her head in disgust.
Celeste cried harder.
“I know.”
“What did you do?” Daniel demanded.
“I marked the correction as delivered.”
Daniel’s face became stone.
“I never called you.”
Lauren stood.
She walked toward the window because she suddenly couldn’t remain near Celeste.
Behind her, Daniel asked the question that mattered.
“Did you prevent anyone from contacting Lauren?”
“No.”
“Then why didn’t Lauren call me afterward?”
Lauren turned.
“I tried.”
Daniel looked at her.
“What?”
“I called your old number three days after Mia stabilized.”
“I changed it.”
“I emailed.”
“I never received anything.”
Lauren frowned.
“I sent six emails.”
Daniel stared.
“To which account?”
“Your personal one.”
He went still.
Vanessa had managed that inbox during the weeks after the birth because Daniel could barely function.
Lauren saw realization hit him.
“She deleted them.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
Celeste whispered, “There’s more.”
They both looked at her.
“Vanessa came back the following morning.”
“What did she want?” Daniel asked.
“A copy of Lauren’s discharge information.”
Lauren’s blood ran cold.
“Did you give it to her?”
“No.”
“Did anyone?”
Celeste hesitated.
“I don’t know.”
Daniel looked at the USB drive.
“Why are you confessing now?”
Celeste swallowed.
“Because Vanessa told me something yesterday.”
“What?”
“She said if you became part of Mia’s life, Lauren would eventually turn you against everyone.”
Daniel frowned.
“That sounds like Vanessa.”
Celeste shook her head.
“She said she had already made one child disappear from your life.”
Nobody moved.
Lauren whispered, “What did she mean?”
“I don’t know.”
Daniel’s face changed.
Neither did he.
But somewhere upstairs, Mia laughed at something Lauren’s sister said.
Lauren looked toward the ceiling.
The happiness they had felt twenty minutes earlier vanished.
Vanessa had not simply hidden one phone call.
May you like
She had spent five years protecting a lie.
And now that the lie was collapsing, no one knew what else she might do to keep Daniel and Lauren apart.
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