Chapter 2: The Secret From Eight Years Ago
My mother didn't come inside.
She stood in the doorway with one hand gripping the frame, her eyes fixed on Melissa.
I had seen fear on people's faces before.
But never on my mother's.
"What happened eight years ago?"" I asked.
Melissa opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
My mother finally stepped into the kitchen and shut the door behind her.
The click of the latch sounded impossibly final.
"We should talk somewhere the children can't hear us," she said.
"No.""
I shook my head.
"I've spent eight years not knowing. I'm done being protected from the truth.""
Melissa looked exhausted.
"Daniel, this isn't how I wanted you to find out.""
"You didn't want me to find out at all.""
She looked away.
That was an answer.
I moved toward the kitchen island and planted both hands against the countertop.
"Start at the beginning.""
Melissa swallowed.
My mother pulled out a chair, but she didn't sit.
Instead, she looked at me.
"Lily's mother contacted me before you met Melissa.""
The words hit me strangely.
I stared at her.
"What?""
Melissa closed her eyes.
My mother continued.
"She was already sick. She knew she might not have much time.""
"Who is Lily's mother?""
My mother's face tightened.
"You knew her.""
My stomach dropped.
"I knew Lily's mother?""
Melissa whispered, "Yes.""
I turned toward her.
"Who?""
She stared at the floor.
My mother answered.
"Rachel.""
The name struck me like a door slamming open inside my head.
Rachel.
I hadn't heard that name spoken aloud in years.
Not since college.
Not since the summer before everything changed.
Rachel had been my best friend's younger sister.
She was twenty-one when I was twenty-three.
Bright.
Funny.
Stubborn.
The kind of person who could walk into a room and make everyone else feel like the room had been waiting for her.
And she had loved me.
I had loved her too.
But life had gotten complicated.
Her brother, Eric, had been my closest friend since high school. When Rachel and I started dating, we hid it at first.
Not because there was anything wrong with it.
Because Eric had made one thing very clear.
"Don't hurt her.""
I still remembered saying, "I won't.""
But I did.
Not intentionally.
At least, not then.
After college, I moved to Atlanta for work.
Rachel stayed behind.
We tried long distance.
Then her father died.
Then I met Melissa.
And Rachel disappeared from my life.
Or so I thought.
I slowly straightened.
"Rachel?""
Melissa nodded.
"She was Lily's mother.""
I stared at her.
"No.""
The word came out before I could stop it.
My mother looked at me sadly.
"Yes.""
I shook my head.
"No. Rachel never told me she was pregnant.""
"She tried.""
"How?""
Melissa stepped forward.
"She called you.""
I looked at her.
"How many times?""
Melissa's lips trembled.
"Three.""
I felt my chest tighten.
"When?""
"Eight years ago.""
"Why didn't I know?""
Melissa didn't answer.
I turned to my mother.
"You knew?""
She nodded.
"I knew about Lily.""
I felt betrayed.
"You knew I had a daughter.""
"I knew Rachel was pregnant.""
"That's not what I asked.""
My voice rose.
"Did you know Lily was mine?""
My mother's eyes filled with tears.
"Rachel believed you were.""
Believed.
The word stopped me.
I looked at Melissa.
"What does that mean?""
She wiped her cheeks.
"It means nobody was certain.""
I stared at her.
"But you just said Lily wasn't my biological daughter.""
"I said she isn't yours.""
"That's not the same thing.""
Melissa's silence was deafening.
I looked between them.
"Who is Lily's father?""
Nobody answered.
Then my mother whispered,
"Eric.""
I laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because my mind couldn't process anything else.
"Eric?""
Melissa nodded.
I stepped away from the counter.
"My best friend?""
"Yes.""
"Rachel's brother?""
"Yes.""
"You're telling me my daughter might be Eric's?""
My mother took a breath.
"We don't know.""
"Then why did Melissa say she's not mine?""
Melissa looked at me.
"Because I had reason to believe she wasn't.""
"What reason?""
She shook her head.
"Daniel...""
"No.""
I slammed my palm against the counter.
"What reason?""
My mother flinched.
Melissa whispered,
"Rachel told me.""
The room went silent.
"When?""
"Before she died.""
I stared at her.
"She was dying?""
Melissa nodded.
"She had cancer.""
I closed my eyes.
I remembered hearing that Rachel had gotten sick.
I remembered being told she'd moved away.
I remembered calling her old number and hearing that it had been disconnected.
I remembered wondering why she had vanished so completely.
But I had never known she was dying.
I opened my eyes.
"Why didn't anyone tell me?""
My mother's voice broke.
"Because Rachel asked us not to.""
"Why?""
"She was afraid.""
"Of what?""
My mother looked toward the hallway.
"Of losing Lily.""
I felt a cold knot form in my stomach.
"What could I possibly have done?""
Melissa answered.
"You could have taken her.""
I turned toward her.
"She was my daughter.""
"That's what Rachel was afraid of.""
"You just said she didn't know if I was the father.""
"She knew there was a chance.""
"Then why would she hide her?""
Melissa stared at me for several seconds.
"Because Eric believed Lily was his.""
I stopped breathing.
"What?""
Melissa's voice became quieter.
"Rachel and Eric had a complicated relationship. They had a history nobody talked about. When Rachel found out she was pregnant, Eric assumed the baby was his.""
I shook my head.
"That's impossible.""
"Why?""
"Because Rachel and I were together.""
"Yes.""
"And she never slept with Eric.""
Melissa looked at me.
"Are you certain?""
The question made me angry.
"Of course I'm certain.""
My mother intervened.
"Daniel...""
"No.""
I turned toward her.
"How can you stand there and tell me this like it's some mystery?""
"Because it was a mystery.""
I stared at her.
"What happened after Rachel died?""
My mother's hands folded together.
"She left instructions.""
"What kind?""
"She wanted Lily placed with someone she trusted.""
I could barely get the words out.
"Who?""
My mother looked at Melissa.
Melissa whispered,
"Me.""
I felt dizzy.
"You?""
She nodded.
"Rachel knew me.""
"How?""
"We worked together.""
I frowned.
"When?""
"At the hospital.""
I stared at her.
Melissa had been a pediatric nurse before we met.
That was something she had told me early in our relationship.
She'd said she loved working with children.
She'd told me she had met hundreds of families.
I had never once asked about Rachel.
"Rachel was your patient?""
"No.""
Melissa's eyes filled with tears.
"She was my friend.""
The room seemed to tilt.
"How?""
"She was my college roommate.""
My mouth went dry.
"That's impossible.""
"Why?""
"Because I knew Rachel's roommates.""
"You knew the people she lived with when you were dating her," Melissa said.
"You didn't know everything about her life.""
I stepped backward.
Every assumption I had built over the years seemed to shift under my feet.
"So Rachel knew you.""
"Yes.""
"She trusted you.""
"Yes.""
"She asked you to protect Lily.""
"Yes.""
"And then you married me.""
Melissa looked at the floor.
"Yes.""
"Knowing I had a daughter.""
"Yes.""
"Knowing she might be mine.""
"Yes.""
"And you never told me.""
Melissa whispered,
"Rachel made me promise.""
I laughed bitterly.
"She made you promise to keep my own child from me?""
"She was terrified.""
"Of what?""
Melissa finally looked up.
"Of Eric.""
That name changed the air again.
I thought of my old friend.
Eric.
The man who had stood beside me when my father died.
The man who had been my best man.
The man who had vanished from my life shortly after I married Melissa.
I'd always assumed it was because of his job.
Now I wasn't so sure.
"What did Eric do?""
Melissa shook her head.
"I don't know everything.""
"Tell me what you know.""
She hesitated.
"Eric became obsessed with Lily.""
I frowned.
"She's his niece.""
"He believed she was his daughter.""
"Rachel told him?""
"No.""
Melissa paused.
"Rachel refused to tell him anything.""
"Then how did he know?""
"Because he did the math.""
I stared at her.
"What math?""
"He knew Rachel had been seeing you.""
"I know.""
"But he also knew they had been together before you.""
I felt sick.
"You said their relationship was complicated.""
"It was.""
"What does that mean?""
Melissa looked at my mother.
My mother wouldn't meet my eyes.
I turned back.
"What does complicated mean?""
Melissa's voice cracked.
"Eric had been controlling.""
I waited.
"How controlling?""
"He didn't want Rachel seeing you.""
"That doesn't explain anything.""
Melissa's eyes filled with tears.
"He threatened her.""
"With what?""
"With taking Lily.""
I shook my head.
"He couldn't take a child if he wasn't the father.""
"He didn't know that.""
"And nobody corrected him?""
"No.""
"Why?""
"Because Rachel was afraid he would hurt her.""
My heart pounded.
"Did he hurt her?""
Melissa didn't answer.
"Melissa.""
She closed her eyes.
"Not physically.""
I stared at her.
"But?""
"He threatened to ruin her life. He said he'd tell everyone she was unstable. He said he'd take Lily and disappear.""
My hands began to tremble.
"And you believed him?""
"We all did.""
My mother finally spoke.
"Rachel was sick and scared.""
I looked at her.
"And you helped her hide my daughter.""
My mother started crying.
"I thought I was protecting a child.""
"You lied to me.""
"I know.""
"For eight years.""
"I know.""
"Do you understand what that means?""
She nodded.
"I do.""
"No, you don't.""
I turned toward the hallway.
Somewhere beyond the door, I could hear Noah talking to my mother about the birthday balloons.
A normal conversation.
A child's voice.
My world had become anything but normal.
"Where is Eric now?"" I asked.
Melissa froze.
My mother looked down.
Nobody answered.
I felt a terrible certainty forming.
"Where is he?""
Melissa whispered,
"I don't know.""
"Don't lie to me.""
"I'm not.""
"Then why did you look at Mom?""
Melissa's eyes filled with tears again.
My mother finally said,
"Because Eric came to see me three months ago.""
My blood ran cold.
"What?""
"He asked about Lily.""
I turned slowly.
"What did you tell him?""
"Nothing.""
"Did he see her?""
"No.""
"How do you know?""
"Because I made him leave.""
I stared at my mother.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
She shook her head.
"I was afraid.""
"Of Eric?""
"No.""
She looked at Melissa.
"Of what Melissa would do.""
I turned.
Melissa had gone completely still.
"What does that mean?""
My mother looked at her.
"Tell him.""
Melissa's face crumpled.
"Mom...""
"Tell him.""
I waited.
Melissa's voice was barely audible.
"Eric didn't just come looking for Lily.""
My pulse hammered.
"He came looking for me.""
"Why?""
She swallowed.
"Because he knows the truth.""
"What truth?""
Melissa stared directly into my eyes.
"The DNA test.""
I felt the floor disappear beneath me.
"What DNA test?""
She began to cry.
"The one I took eight years ago.""
I couldn't speak.
She continued.
"Before Rachel died, she gave me a sample from Lily.""
I stared at her.
"Why?""
"Because she wanted to know who Lily's father was.""
"And?""
Melissa looked away.
"I had the test done.""
My voice dropped to a whisper.
"What did it say?""
She didn't answer.
I stepped toward her.
"What did the test say?""
My mother covered her mouth.
Melissa finally looked up.
Her eyes were full of terror.
"It said Lily was your daughter.""
I couldn't move.
Eight years.
Eight years of birthdays.
First days of school.
Christmas mornings.
Broken toys.
Fevers.
Bedtime stories.
Every moment I had spent loving Lily suddenly took on a different meaning.
I had never needed DNA to call her my daughter.
But somewhere in a laboratory, eight years ago, there had been proof.
Proof Melissa had seen.
Proof she had hidden.
Proof she had deliberately kept from me.
I whispered,
"Why?""
Melissa cried harder.
"Because Rachel made me promise.""
"That doesn't answer me.""
"She knew if you found out, you'd take Lily.""
"I would have protected her.""
"That's exactly what she feared.""
"From who?""
Melissa hesitated.
Then she said the words that changed everything.
"From Eric.""
I stared at her.
"Why would Rachel be more afraid of Eric if you knew Lily was mine?""
Melissa's face went white.
"Because Eric knew about the test.""
I felt a cold shiver move down my spine.
"When?""
"Six years ago.""
"Six?""
She nodded.
"And what did he do?""
Melissa wiped her face.
"He threatened me.""
"With what?""
She stared at me.
"He said if I ever told you the truth, he would make sure Lily disappeared.""
My blood ran cold.
"And you believed him?""
Melissa nodded.
"I did.""
"Where is he now?""
"I told you. I don't know.""
My mother's phone suddenly vibrated on the kitchen counter.
We all jumped.
She looked at the screen.
The color drained from her face.
"What?""
She couldn't answer.
I picked up the phone.
The message was from an unknown number.
There were only six words.
*You should have told Daniel sooner.*
I stared at the screen.
Then another message appeared.
*He deserves to know about the accident.*
My stomach dropped.
"What accident?""
My mother's hands began to shake.
Melissa whispered,
"Don't.""
I turned toward her.
"Don't what?""
She backed away.
"Please, Daniel.""
I held the phone up.
"What accident?""
Nobody answered.
Then my mother quietly said,
"Rachel didn't die from cancer.""
The room went completely silent.
I looked at Melissa.
She was sobbing now.
My mother's voice broke.
"Rachel died three weeks after the DNA test.""
I felt my heart stop.
"How?""
My mother looked toward the dark window over the sink.
"Someone hit her car on a highway outside Atlanta.""
I stared at her.
"A car accident.""
She shook her head.
"That's what the police called it.""
I looked back at the phone.
May you like
The unknown number sent one final message.
*Ask Melissa who was driving.*
