Chapter 7 - The House on Willow Lane
The Barretts lived in a pale blue house on Willow Lane.
Claire sat in Emma’s car across the street.
Mara had told them not to come.
They came anyway.
“I just need to see her,” Claire said.
Emma gripped the steering wheel.
“If this goes wrong, we leave.”
Claire nodded.
“Promise.”
“I promise.”
The front curtains were open.
Twenty minutes passed.
Then Hannah Barrett appeared carrying a baby.
Claire stopped breathing.
Hannah walked slowly through the living room, rocking the child against her shoulder.
Luke followed with a bottle.
Even from across the street, the scene looked tender.
Normal.
That somehow hurt more.
Claire expected monsters.
Instead she saw two people who appeared to love her daughter.
Hannah kissed the baby’s forehead.
Claire began crying.
“That’s her.”
Emma looked through the windshield.
“You can’t know.”
“I do.”
“How?”
“She moves her hand like Lily.”
Emma looked at her sister.
The baby curled three fingers against Hannah’s collar.
Lily did the same thing whenever Claire held her.
A coincidence.
Probably.
But Emma no longer believed coincidence deserved the benefit of every doubt.
Claire reached for the door.
Emma locked it.
“No.”
“She’s right there.”
“Mara said wait.”
“That woman is holding my child.”
“She may not know.”
“I don’t care.”
“I do.”
Claire turned on her.
“Why?”
“Because if she thinks that baby is legally hers and we storm the house screaming kidnapping, she can disappear before we have proof.”
Claire stared at Emma.
Then looked back toward the house.
Slowly, painfully, she sat down.
They drove away.
That evening Mara made the official approach.
She called Luke Barrett as an attorney representing Claire.
Luke hung up.
Five minutes later he called back.
His voice shook.
“What is this about?”
“A child placed with you approximately eight weeks ago.”
Silence.
Mara continued.
“We believe serious irregularities occurred during the transfer.”
“You’re wrong.”
“Did Agnes Family Services arrange the placement?”
Another silence.
Luke whispered, “Who are you?”
Mara gave her credentials.
Luke asked for an hour.
Twenty-three minutes later Hannah called.
She was crying.
“We were told the mother surrendered both parental rights.”
Claire sat beside Mara listening through speakerphone.
Mara asked, “Did you meet the mother?”
“No.”
“Did you speak with her?”
“No.”
“Did you receive signed consent?”
“Yes.”
“Whose signature?”
“Claire Carter.”
Claire closed her eyes.
Mara looked at her.
“Claire Carter never signed consent.”
Hannah began sobbing.
Luke’s voice came through the background.
“Hannah.”
She ignored him.
“They told us she didn’t want the second baby.”
Claire lunged toward the phone.
Mara stopped her gently.
Hannah continued.
“They said she was keeping one twin and surrendering the other because she couldn’t care for two.”
Claire made a strangled sound.
Hannah heard it.
“Is she there?”
Mara looked at Claire.
Claire nodded.
“Yes.”
Silence.
Then Hannah said, “I’m sorry.”
Claire spoke.
“What did you name her?”
Hannah cried harder.
“Ava.”
Claire closed her eyes.
“What color are her eyes?”
“Blue-gray.”
“Does she hate being swaddled too tightly?”
A pause.
“Yes.”
“Does she make a little squeak before she sneezes?”
Hannah broke.
“Oh God.”
Claire put a hand over her mouth.
Both mothers cried into the same silence.
Finally Claire asked:
“Is she safe?”
Hannah answered immediately.
“Yes.”
That answer mattered.
More than Claire wanted it to.
“Please don’t take her anywhere.”
“We won’t.”
“Please.”
“I swear.”
Luke came onto the call.
“We want DNA testing.”
“So do we,” Mara said.
Luke’s voice was raw.
“If what you’re saying is true, we were lied to too.”
Claire stared at the phone.
Then said quietly:
“She has a sister.”
Luke said nothing.
May you like
Claire looked at Lily sleeping nearby.
“Her twin sister.”
