“The hormone in my blood?”
“Yes. Pregnancy is the most common reason for that hormone to appear. But some germ cell tumors can produce it too.”
No one spoke.
The truth was too large to enter the room all at once.
“There was never a baby?” Sophie asked.
“No,” Dr. Shah said. “You are not pregnant.”
Sophie’s entire body relaxed. Then she studied the image on the monitor.
“So that thing tricked the test?”
“That is one way to describe it.”
Eric lowered himself into a chair.
He stared at Daniel for several seconds.
“I thought—”
“I know what you thought,” Daniel said.
“I was trying to protect her.”
“You accused me before you even asked her.”
“I heard the word pregnant. She’s ten. What was I supposed to think?”
“You were supposed to believe your daughter when she told you the truth.”
Eric looked toward Sophie, but she turned her face into my shoulder.
