I stared at her.
“Me?”
She nodded.
“She gave them your name.”
The room seemed to tilt.
I looked at Michael.
He wouldn’t look at me.
“How would your daughter know my name?”
Eleanor wiped her cheeks.
“Because she met you.”
I searched my memory.
I had never met this woman.
I’d never met her daughter.
At least, I didn’t think I had.
Then Michael quietly said something that made my stomach drop.
“Her daughter worked at the hospital.”
I turned toward him.
“Your coworker’s daughter?”
He nodded.
“The person I told you was being brought here tonight.”
“You said it was your coworker.”
“I lied.”
I felt like someone had punched me.
“You lied about why you came here?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He looked at Lucy.
“Because I didn’t know how to tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
He swallowed.
“About three months ago, Eleanor’s daughter contacted me.”
“Why?”
“Because she knew about us.”
I stared at him.
“About our foster application?”
“No.”
He paused.
“About our daughter.”
For several seconds, I couldn’t breathe.
“We have three sons.”
“I know.”
“We never had a daughter.”
“I know.”
“Then what are you talking about?”
He looked at me with tears in his eyes.
“Twenty-two years ago, you did.”
Everything inside me went silent.
I had to sit down.
