Chapter 5

I tucked the photos away in my bag.

"One more thing," Maria said, lowering her voice. "About that lab you asked me to check out, they're legit. Their reports are legally binding. Did you already get the results?"

I looked at her, but didn't give a straight answer.

"I can't open it yet," I said.

Maria got anxious. "You already have it, and you're still not opening it? Don't you want to know if Xavier is really Duncan's son?"

"Of course I want to know," I said. "But if I open it now, I won't be able to hold myself back."

Maria opened her mouth, like she wanted to say something, but in the end, she just let out a heavy sigh.

"So, what are you cooking up?" Maria pressed.

I just kept quiet.

The sunlight outside was just right, and out on the old street, there was an old man selling chocolates.

When Zoe was three, I brought her to this street to buy chocolates. She picked out one, but it melted before we even got home, and she cried the whole way back.

That winter, Jacob sent her away.

After finishing my coffee, I stood up and told Maria, "Help me find someone. See if you can get Elsa Harvey's exact address in Harborvale, and if possible, her call logs from the past three years."

Maria stared at me.

"What are you planning?" she asked.

"I'm going to invite her to Xavier's birthday party," I said.

Maria almost let her cup slip from her hands.

I didn't explain. I just gathered my things and went downstairs.

That afternoon, I went to the Seaview Hotel and met with the event manager to go over the venue and details for the birthday party. I reserved the biggest hall and made a few special requests.

One of them was that I wanted a giant screen installed on the front wall of the banquet hall.

The manager wanted to know what it was for.

"A birthday greeting video," I replied.

I signed the contract and swiped the secondary card Jacob had given me.

As I was leaving the hotel, my phone rang.

It was an unknown number.

I answered, and a little voice, choked with tears, came through. "Mommy."

It was Zoe.

"Mommy, my cousin said I'm just a kid who got thrown away, that Daddy doesn't want me anymore. Is it true?" Zoe's voice trembled.

I stood on the hotel steps, my hand gripping the phone so tightly my knuckles turned white.

"No, that's not true," I said. "Mommy will come pick you up soon," I said.

"Mommy, don't lie to me. You said that before, too," Zoe sniffled.

"I'm really not lying this time. After this month, I will come get you," I promised.

There was a brief pause, then a woman's voice snapped through the line, rough and angry. "Who told you to call? Hand over the phone!"

Zoe yelped, and the line went dead.

I called back, but the phone was already powered off.

I stood there for a full three minutes, then pulled up my contacts and found the number of a lawyer, "Lynn Windsor."

I said, "Get the paperwork ready for a child abuse lawsuit," I said. "I'll send you the evidence later. Don't file anything yet; wait until I say so."

After hanging up, I got into the car and stared at my hands on the steering wheel.

I was steady, steadier than I thought I'd be.

For the next few days, it was like I'd turned into a completely different person.

At least, that's what everyone in the Swinburne family thought.

I started picking Xavier up from school myself, took him shopping for a new outfit for his birthday party, and booked the best photography team to shoot his ten-year-old birthday portraits.

At dinner, I even chatted with him about school, smiling as I asked him what he wanted for his birthday.

Xavier tilted his head, thinking for a moment.

"I want a watch," he said. "The kind my classmates wear."

A ten-year-old boy was already asking for a luxury watch.

Lucy was grinning from ear to ear.

"He takes after his dad; got great taste," Lucy said. "Rebecca, go ahead and buy it for him. Jacob's got more than enough to cover it."

Jacob sat at the head of the table, watching me dote on Xavier. His face went from guarded to genuinely pleased.

"Xavier, stop calling her Aunt Rebecca. From now on, call her Mom," Jacob said.

Xavier glanced up at me, then at Jacob, and flashed a sweet, gentle smile.

"Mom," he said.

Lucy was so excited she dropped her cane, grabbed my hand, and said, "Look at us, all happy together. Why did we ever make such a fuss about divorce?"

That night, Jacob took the chance to tear up the divorce papers I'd brought up before.

"From now on, no more talk about divorce," Jacob said. "Xavier's going to be our son soon, so the four of us will be a real family. And when Zoe comes back, we'll be five."

I smiled and nodded.