“Eight years ago, before we adopted Nora, she worked nights in emergency pediatrics.”
“A baby was brought in after a highway worker found a woman near an old service road.”
Alexandra’s pulse accelerated.
“What woman?”
“Miriam.”
Alexandra stopped breathing.
Ethan continued.
“We didn't know her name then.”
“She had no ID when EMS brought her in.”
“She was badly injured.”
“She died that night.”
Alexandra stared.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“They told me Miriam died in the car.”
Ethan’s expression sharpened.
“She didn't.”
The table seemed to tilt.
Alexandra gripped the edge.
“Where was the baby?”
“With her.”
Nora stared at him.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Ethan reached for her hand.
“You were cold.”
“Dehydrated.”
“Bruised.”
“But okay.”
“Hannah stayed with you.”
“Social services came.”
“They entered you as an unidentified infant.”
Alexandra looked horrified.
“How?”
“How did nobody…”
Ethan shook his head.
“Different county.”
“Wrong age estimate.”
“No matching missing-child alert in their system.”
“Your case had already been listed as presumed deceased three days later.”
Alexandra whispered:
“Three days?”
Ethan nodded.
Nora looked between them.
“Dad, how did you get me?”
Ethan looked at her.
This was a story she knew pieces of.
Not all.
“Hannah and I were licensed foster parents.”
“You came back into the hospital two weeks later after your first emergency placement fell through.”
“Hannah recognized you.”
“We fostered you.”
“Police kept trying to identify you.”
“Months passed.”
“No match.”
“Eventually we petitioned.”
“It took almost two years.”
“Then you became legally ours.”
Nora’s eyes filled again.
Alexandra whispered:
“You searched?”
Ethan looked offended.
“Of course.”
“I didn't mean—”
“We weren’t looking to steal somebody’s child.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
He stopped.
Alexandra deserved his anger.
She took it.
Ethan continued.
“Hannah used to say somebody had to be looking for you.”
“She kept every piece of paper.”
“Every article.”
“Every intake record.”
“Every note.”
“Then why didn't you find me?”
Alexandra asked.
Ethan stared.
“I was going to ask you same thing.”
Silence.
It hurt.
Both were justified.
Both wounded.
Nora looked down.
“Did nobody want me?”
Alexandra reacted immediately.
“No.”
Ethan did too.
“Absolutely not.”
Their voices overlapped.
Nora looked up.
Alexandra leaned closer.
“Listen to me.”
“I wanted you so badly I stopped being able to sleep.”
“I hired people.”
“I went back to that road.”
“I searched for months after everyone told me there was nothing left to find.”
“I kept paying a private investigator for two years.”
“I did not stop because I stopped loving you.”