“She said that wasn’t the baby you left with.”
Daniel missed a breath before forcing a laugh.
“She must have been confused.”
“Then why do you sound frightened?”
He remained silent before claiming he was only tired.
I knew he was lying.
PART 2: THE HIDDEN AGREEMENT
The following afternoon, Daniel and Nora went downstairs to complete some paperwork.
They said they would return in twenty minutes.
After five minutes, I opened the folder where they had stored the hospital documents.
I knew searching through their private papers was wrong. But a nurse had made a disturbing statement, and my son had lied directly to my face.
I needed answers.
At first, I found nothing unusual.
Insurance forms.
Medical instructions.
Consent documents.
Then I discovered a packet marked:
GESTATIONAL SURROGACY AGREEMENT.
I sat down and began reading.
Daniel and Nora’s names appeared throughout the document. A third name was also listed.
Elise.
The agreement identified Daniel and Nora as the intended parents. Elise was the woman who had carried the baby.
Suddenly, everything made sense.
Nora had never been pregnant.
