Chapter 7: The Girl In The Photograph
I spent the entire night staring at the photograph.
The girl looked familiar.
Not in the way strangers sometimes resemble celebrities.
Something deeper.
The shape of her eyes.
The curve of her smile.
The small scar near her eyebrow.
I had seen that face before.
But where?
“Maya.””
My father’s voice pulled me back.
I looked up.
He was standing in my bedroom doorway.
I quickly locked my phone.
He noticed.
“You don’t have to hide things from me.””
I almost laughed.
The irony hurt.
“You said that after everyone hid things from me my entire life.””
He looked down.
“I know.””
That was the first time I heard my father admit it.
Not explain.
Not defend.
Just admit.
“I’m sorry.””
Those words were powerful because Richard Collins was not a man who apologized easily.
I sat on the edge of my bed.
“Do you think she’s really my sister?””
He sighed.
“I don’t know.””
“But you believe it.””
He didn’t answer.
That was enough.
The next morning, I went downstairs and found Daniel waiting.
He looked like he hadn’t slept.
“Your father asked me to come.””
I looked at him.
“My father?””
He nodded.
“He wants answers.””
I almost smiled.
“Everyone wants answers.””
Daniel sat across from me.
“I should have told you sooner.””
“About what?””
“That I suspected.””
My eyes narrowed.
“You suspected my mother had another child?””
He nodded.
“When your mother said Daniel wasn’t the father, I knew there was more.””
“Why?””
“Because eighteen years ago, I received a letter.””
“What letter?””
He looked uncomfortable.
“A letter from your grandfather.””
I froze.
“What did it say?””
Daniel stared at his hands.
“That he had fixed a problem.””
My skin crawled.
“What problem?””
“He never explained.””
I stood.
“You knew my grandfather was hiding something?””
“I was twenty years old.””
“That doesn’t answer the question.””
“No.””
He looked at me.
“It doesn’t.””
Before I could respond, my mother entered.
She looked exhausted.
“Maya.””
I didn’t turn around.
“Why?””
She stopped.
“Why did you let me believe I was your only child?””
She started crying.
“Because I didn’t know.””
“Mom, you knew you had a baby.””
“I knew I lost one.””
“No.””
I finally turned.
“You knew you had a daughter.””
She looked broken.
“I was scared.””
“That’s always your answer.””
The words hurt her.
But they were true.
“I was afraid if I searched and found out she was alive, I would have to face what I did.””
“What did you do?””
She looked at me.
And whispered:
“I gave up.””
Nobody spoke.
Then the doorbell rang.
My father opened it.
A woman stood outside.
She looked around twenty years old.
Maybe a little older.
My age.
My entire body went still.
Because I knew her.
Not personally.
But somehow.
The scar.
The eyes.
The face.
The woman from the photograph.
She looked at my mother.
“Nicole Carter?””
My mother grabbed the doorway.
“Yes?””
The woman’s expression was complicated.
Like she had imagined this moment a thousand times.
“My name is Lily Carter.””
My mother started crying before the woman even finished.
Lily looked at me.
Then at Daniel.
Then at my father.
“I think I’m your daughter.””
Nobody moved.
My father whispered:
“Oh my God.””
Lily swallowed.
“I’ve spent my entire life trying to find out where I came from.””
She looked at my mother.
“I was told my birth mother abandoned me.””
My mother covered her mouth.
“No.””
Lily’s eyes filled with tears.
“Then why was I given a different name?””
My mother couldn’t answer.
Lily stepped inside.
“I found records from the hospital.””
She pulled out a folder.
“I found your name.””
She looked at Nicole.
“And I found out you had another daughter.””
Then she looked at me.
“I didn’t know about you.””
I couldn’t speak.
Because suddenly, the person I had spent my whole life wanting to be—
the daughter my mother protected—
wasn’t the only one.
Lily placed the folder on the table.
“There’s something else.””
My father looked at her.
“What?””
She opened the folder.
Inside was a DNA report.
Her voice shook.
“The reason I found you is because someone sent me a test result.””
My blood ran cold.
“What test result?””
May you like
Lily looked at me.
“The one proving I’m related to Maya.””
