Chapter 7: The Choice Claire Made
Nobody spoke.
I could hear the refrigerator humming downstairs.
Somewhere outside, a car passed along the street.
But inside Maya's bedroom, everything had stopped.
I looked at Claire.
"What does that mean?""
She sat down.
Her hands were shaking.
"Before the babies were born, I knew something was wrong with my pregnancy.""
I frowned.
"What?""
"The doctors told me there was a possibility the baby wouldn't survive.""
Maya's face changed.
"What are you saying?""
Claire wiped her cheeks.
"They found complications during the final examination. They told me there was a chance I would lose the baby.""
I remembered those weeks.
The hospital appointments.
The nights Claire cried.
The way she held my hand whenever the doctor entered the room.
But I had never heard about a certainty that Maya might die.
Claire continued.
"When I delivered, I was exhausted. They told me the baby was healthy. Then, hours later, they discovered the identification error.""
She looked at Maya.
"I couldn't bear the thought of losing you.""
Maya stared at her.
"But you didn't lose me.""
"I thought I might.""
"So you took somebody else's baby?""
Claire shook her head.
"It wasn't supposed to happen like that.""
I felt anger rising.
"Then how was it supposed to happen?""
Claire took a deep breath.
"Your father arrived at the hospital before you did. Marcus was already there. He told me that Elena wanted nothing to do with him. He said she would leave the country if she discovered he had fathered another child.""
"That was his problem," I said.
"I know.""
"Not yours.""
"I know.""
"Then why did you involve yourself?""
Claire looked at me.
"Because Marcus told me something else.""
"What?""
"He said Elena had already agreed to let him raise the baby.""
I turned toward Jordan.
He looked just as confused.
"Did she?"" I asked.
Claire shook her head.
"Not in the way he described.""
"What does that mean?""
"Elena had signed a temporary guardianship agreement before the birth. Marcus told me it meant she didn't want the child.""
A bitter laugh escaped Jordan.
"She thought she was giving me a chance at a better life.""
Claire nodded.
"But Marcus told me she had abandoned you.""
Elena's name seemed to hang between us.
I thought about the woman in the hotel room.
The small blanket she had kept for sixteen years.
The photographs.
The way she had asked permission before hugging her own son.
And I realized something.
Claire hadn't simply been afraid.
She had been given an opportunity to make a choice.
And she had made it.
I looked at her.
"Did you know Jordan was Elena's child when you took him?""
Claire nodded.
"Yes.""
Jordan turned away.
Maya whispered, "Mom...""
Claire reached for her.
Maya stepped back.
"Don't.""
Claire's hand dropped.
"I loved you both.""
"Then why did you make us live inside a lie?""
"I thought it would protect you.""
Maya's eyes filled.
"You protected yourself.""
That sentence silenced everyone.
I looked at the blue folder.
"Where is Patricia now?""
Nia checked the photograph again.
"Her address is written on the last page.""
I picked up my keys.
"I'm going to see her.""
Jordan immediately stood.
"I'm coming.""
"So am I," Nia said.
I shook my head.
"Not everyone needs to go.""
Jordan looked at me.
"I need to hear this from her.""
I understood.
I nodded.
"Then we're going together.""
I turned toward Maya.
"Stay here with your mother.""
Maya shook her head.
"I don't want to be alone with her.""
Claire closed her eyes.
I looked at Nia.
"Can you stay with your sister?""
She nodded.
Before we left, I turned to Claire.
"Don't leave.""
She looked up.
"Arthur...""
"Don't take the children anywhere. Don't call Marcus. Don't destroy anything else.""
She nodded silently.
Jordan and I drove to the care facility.
It was nearly midnight when we arrived.
A security guard met us at the entrance.
I explained that we were looking for Patricia Wells.
He checked the visitor log.
"She's in the east wing. But visiting hours ended at nine.""
I showed him the hospital statement.
His expression changed.
"Give me a minute.""
He disappeared into the office.
Five minutes later, a nurse came out.
She was in her late fifties, with short silver hair and a small scar above her eyebrow.
"Mr. Bennett?""
"Yes.""
"My name is Sarah. Patricia has been expecting someone.""
She led us down a quiet hallway.
At the end was a small room with a television playing at low volume.
An elderly woman sat beside the window.
She looked up when we entered.
Her eyes moved from me to Jordan.
Then she began to cry.
"You're Arthur's boys," she whispered.
Jordan stepped forward.
"Do you remember me?""
Patricia nodded.
"I remember both of you.""
She pointed to the chairs.
"Please sit.""
I remained standing.
"I want to know why you changed the babies' records.""
Patricia looked down at her hands.
"I didn't want to.""
"Then why did you?""
"Because Claire begged me.""
Jordan sat slowly.
"Why?""
Patricia took a long breath.
"Your mother had received news that her baby might not survive. She was terrified. Marcus had already told her that Elena's baby would be healthy. He said Elena didn't want to raise a child with him.""
I shook my head.
"That's not enough to explain what happened.""
"No," Patricia said.
"It isn't.""
She reached for a drawer beside her bed.
Inside was a small envelope.
She placed it on the table.
"This is the original record.""
I opened it.
There were two pages.
The first contained the correct birth details.
The second was a signed authorization.
I recognized Claire's signature.
But there was something else.
A second signature.
Richard Bennett.
My father's.
I stared at it.
"Why did my father sign this?""
Patricia looked at me.
"Because he believed he was saving the family.""
"Saving it from what?""
She hesitated.
Then she leaned forward.
"Your father discovered that the baby Claire gave birth to wasn't actually the baby you thought she was carrying.""
I frowned.
"What?""
Patricia's eyes filled.
"Arthur, your father knew something about Claire's pregnancy that nobody else did.""
I felt my heart pounding.
"What?""
She looked directly at me.
"Claire had been pregnant before she married you.""
I stared at her.
Jordan slowly raised his head.
Patricia continued.
"She had lost that baby. But the hospital records showed that she had given birth to another child much earlier than you were told.""
I shook my head.
"That doesn't make sense.""
"It will when you see the original medical file.""
She pushed another document toward me.
At the top was a date.
Three months before my wedding.
Below it was Claire's name.
And beneath that was a diagnosis.
*Pregnancy termination — 12 weeks.*
I felt sick.
"She was pregnant before we got married?""
Patricia nodded.
"But that isn't the most important part.""
She pointed to the bottom of the page.
There was a name listed as the accompanying person.
*Marcus Bennett.*
Jordan stood.
"No.""
Patricia closed her eyes.
"Yes.""
I looked at the date again.
Then at the signature.
Marcus had been with Claire before my wedding.
Before I became her husband.
Before I believed we were building a family together.
And suddenly, the question was no longer why my father had helped conceal the baby exchange.
The question was why my brother had been involved with my future wife in the first place.
Patricia reached for my hand.
"There's one more thing you need to know.""
I looked at her.
"Tell me.""
May you like
She whispered:
"Marcus wasn't the only man Claire was protecting.""
