I WASTED SEVEN YEARS WAITING FOR A WOMAN WHO COULDN’T GIVE ME A CHILD—UNTIL TWO VOICES CALLED HER MUMMY AT MY BABY SHOWER

Then I sat in my car and cried.

Not because I believed Emily had necessarily done something wrong.

Because I realized that someone I had trusted completely might have known something about my children before I did.

And I had no idea how much of my own story I still didn’t understand.

At noon, Rachel called.

“Claire, I heard from the agency.””

“What did they say?””

“They’ve asked me to provide a statement about the day I saw Daniel at the hospital.””

“Are you going to?””

“Yes.””

I hesitated.

“Rachel, did you know Emily?””

“Of course. You two were inseparable.””

“Did she ever tell you anything about the children?””

“No.””

“Did Daniel?””

Rachel was quiet.

Then she said, “There was something he told me after the divorce.””

I waited.

“He said Emily had asked him whether he would ever consider being a father if he knew he might not be able to have biological children.””

I frowned.

“When did she ask him that?””

“I don’t know. He said it happened during your marriage.””

My chest tightened.

“Why would she ask him that?””

“He told me she was trying to help him accept the possibility that he might need to consider adoption.””

I stared through the windshield.

Emily had been helping us through the fertility treatments.

She had accompanied me to appointments.

She had sat with Daniel and me at dinner when we discussed the possibility of adoption.

But I had never heard that she had spoken to Daniel privately about becoming a father.

“What did Daniel say to her?””

“He said he told her he wasn’t interested in adoption. He wanted a biological child.””

I closed my eyes.

Of course he had.

Rachel continued.

“Claire, there’s something else. Daniel said Emily became upset when he told her that. He said she accused him of being selfish.””

That sounded like Emily.

She had never been afraid to challenge someone when she believed they were wrong.

But why would she care so deeply about Daniel’s decision?

I thought of the report.

Emily’s name.

The children.

The missing page.

A possibility began to form in my mind, but I refused to accept it without evidence.

“Rachel, thank you for telling me.””

“I wish I had told you sooner.””

“So do I.””

We ended the call.

That afternoon, Mrs. Harris emailed me an update.

The agency had begun contacting relevant parties to determine whether DNA testing could clarify the possible family connection. The process would take time, and the agency asked that I avoid discussing unverified information with the children.

I agreed.

Then, just after four, I received a phone call from an unknown number.

I answered cautiously.

“Hello?””

A woman’s voice came through.

“Claire?””

My heart stopped.

“Emily?””

There was a long silence.

Then she began to cry.

“Oh, Claire.””

I gripped the phone.

“Where have you been?””

“I know. I know I should have called.””

“Why didn’t you?””

She sobbed.

“Because I was afraid.””

“Of what?””

“Of what you would think of me.””

I stood up.

“Emily, your name is in my children’s adoption records. Daniel says you knew their biological mother. He says you spoke to him about the children. I need you to tell me what is happening.””

She took a shaky breath.

“I was hoping the agency would contact me before you found out.””

“Why?””

“Because I wanted to explain everything in person.””

“Then explain it now.””

She was silent.

I could hear traffic in the background.

Finally, she said, “The twins’ biological mother was my younger sister.””

I closed my eyes.

Emily had never mentioned having a younger sister.

Not once in all the years I had known her.

I had met her parents at family gatherings, exchanged Christmas cards with them, and spent weekends at their home.

There had been no sister.

At least, none I had ever known about.

“You have a sister?””

“Yes.””

“Why didn’t I know about her?””

Emily’s voice cracked.

“Because we were estranged for years. My family didn’t talk about her.””

I felt sick.

“What was her name?””

“Sarah.””

I searched my memory.

Nothing.

I had never heard that name associated with Emily’s family.

“What happened to her?””

“She died shortly after the twins were born.””

I sat down slowly.

“I’m sorry.””

Emily began crying harder.

“She was young. She had been struggling for a long time, and when the twins were born prematurely, she couldn’t care for them. The family services department became involved.””

I closed my eyes.

“Was Michael their father?””

“I don’t know for certain.””

I opened my eyes again.

“Emily.””