Chapter 4 - THE WOMAN WHO WASN’T SUPPOSED TO KNOW
The room went silent.
Margaret's hand gripped the blanket.
“Get out,” she whispered.
Eleanor did not move.
“I have waited thirty-six years.”
Margaret's voice grew stronger.
“Get out!”
Daniel stared at the old woman.
“Who are you?”
Eleanor looked at him.
“You don't remember me.”
“No.”
“You were a baby.”
Daniel shook his head.
“I've never seen you.”
Eleanor's eyes filled with tears.
“Of course you haven't.”
Lena stepped closer.
“What does she mean?”
Eleanor looked at her.
“Your mother was Claire Hart.”
Lena froze.
“How do you know my mother?”
“I worked at St. Matthew's Hospital.”
Lena's heart began to pound.
“When?”
“Thirty-six years ago.”
Margaret closed her eyes.
“Please.”
Eleanor looked at her.
“You have had thirty-six years to tell the truth.”
Lena turned toward Margaret.
“What truth?”
Margaret's face was expressionless.
Eleanor answered for her.
“The truth about the baby.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“What baby?”
Eleanor stared at him.
“The baby born on October 14th, 1989.”
Daniel went completely still.
Lena looked at him.
Daniel shook his head.
“What does that have to do with me?”
Eleanor's voice trembled.
“Everything.”
Dr. Reed entered.
“What is happening?”
Lena turned toward him.
“Who is this woman?”
Eleanor looked at the doctor.
“Samuel.”
He recognized her.
“Eleanor?”
“You remember me?”
“Of course.”
“What is she talking about?”
Dr. Reed looked between them.
Then he saw the old file in Lena's hand.
His expression changed.
“Where did you get that?”
“The hospital gave it to me.”
Dr. Reed took a slow breath.
“Mrs. Carter, I need you to understand that the records from 1989 are sealed.”
“Why?”
“Because they involve a legal case.”
“What legal case?”
Eleanor answered.
“The disappearance of a newborn child.”
Lena felt dizzy.
“What?”
Eleanor looked at Daniel.
“Your son was born at this hospital.”
Margaret suddenly shouted:
“Stop!”
Everyone froze.
Margaret was crying.
Not dramatically.
Not with anger.
Real tears.
“I never wanted this.”
Lena stared.
“You never wanted what?”
Margaret looked at her.
“I never wanted you to know.”
Lena's voice became quiet.
“Know what?”
Margaret looked toward Daniel.
Daniel stepped back.
“Mom.”
“I was told the baby was dead.”
The words hung in the room.
Lena stared.
“What baby?”
Margaret covered her face.
“Your baby.”
Daniel stopped breathing.
Lena looked at him.
Daniel whispered:
“What?”
Margaret began to cry.
“Your first child.”
Daniel's face turned white.
“I don't have another child.”
“You did.”
“Mom, what are you talking about?”
Margaret looked at Lena.
“The baby was born the same night as you.”
Lena's heart began pounding.
“What does that have to do with me?”
Margaret said nothing.
Eleanor spoke.
“Your mother gave birth that night.”
Lena stared at her.
“My mother?”
“Yes.”
“What did she have?”
“A girl.”
Lena felt the air leave her lungs.
“A girl?”
Eleanor nodded.
“She was born at 11:42 p.m.”
Lena shook her head.
“My mother never told me.”
“She couldn't.”
“Why?”
Eleanor looked at Margaret.
“Because the baby disappeared.”
Lena stared at Margaret.
Margaret's lips trembled.
“I didn't take her.”
Eleanor said nothing.
Lena felt anger rise.
“Take who?”
Margaret looked at her.
“The baby.”
“Which baby?”
Margaret whispered:
“Your sister.”
Lena stopped.
She had never had a sister.
Her mother had always told her she was an only child.
Lena turned toward Eleanor.
“My mother had a daughter?”
“Yes.”
“What happened to her?”
Eleanor looked at Daniel.
Then at Margaret.
“That is what we have spent thirty-six years trying to discover.”
Daniel's voice broke.
“Why is everyone looking at me?”
Eleanor stared at him.
“Because your mother was in the hospital that night.”
Margaret shook her head.
“I was there for my son.”
Eleanor answered:
“You were there for two babies.”
Lena felt her knees weaken.
Dr. Reed caught her arm.
“Mrs. Carter.”
She pulled away.
“No.”
She looked at Margaret.
“What did you do?”
Margaret cried harder.
“I didn't know.”
“You knew my mother.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Margaret looked down.
“Claire worked for my family.”
Lena's breath stopped.
“What?”
“Your mother was my husband's assistant.”
Lena stared.
She had never known.
“My mother worked for the Whitmores?”
Margaret nodded.
“She was brilliant.”
“Then why did she disappear?”
Margaret closed her eyes.
“Because of the baby.”
Lena's voice shook.
“What baby?”
Margaret looked at her.
“The baby who was supposed to become my son.”
Daniel suddenly stepped back.
“No.”
Lena turned.
“What does that mean?”
Margaret's voice was barely audible.
“Daniel was born that night.”
Lena stared.
“And my mother gave birth to a girl.”
Margaret nodded.
“Two babies.”
“Born in the same hospital.”
“Yes.”
“And you are saying…”
Margaret looked at Daniel.
Then at Lena.
Her voice broke.
“Daniel may not be my biological son.”
The room went completely silent.
Eli, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, looked up.
“Mommy?”
Lena turned toward him.
He was holding his bandaged finger.
“Can we go home?”
Lena wanted to say yes.
She wanted to take him and run.
But then Eleanor reached into her purse.
She pulled out an old photograph.
The image was faded.
A hospital nursery.
Two bassinets.
Two newborn babies.
And a young woman standing beside them.
Lena recognized her immediately.
Her mother.
On the back of the photograph, written in blue ink, were six words:
ONE OF THESE BABIES WAS TAKEN.
Lena looked at Margaret.
“Which one?”
Margaret stared at the photograph.
May you like
And whispered:
“I don't know.”
