Chapter 12

I said, "You just didn't have the guts."

Taylor said, "Freddie lost his mom."

"So you expect my daughter to make up for what he lost?"

"I wasn't trying to hurt Isobel."

"You're already hurting her."

Just then, Isobel let out a sudden cry from the bedroom.

My mom was in there, trying to soothe her.

My heart was pulled right back to her.

I didn't want to waste another second on him.

I said, "Just go."

Taylor stared at the door. "I want to see her."

"No."

"I'm her father."

"From the moment you hid her name in that donor application, you don't deserve to be alone with her anymore."

Taylor's hands balled into fists.

But in the end, he didn't force his way in.

He turned and walked downstairs.

I closed the door and slid down to the floor with my back pressed against it.

My mom came out, holding Isobel.

Isobel's eyes were still wet with tears, but as soon as she saw me, she reached out for me.

I scooped her up and hugged her tight.

My mom asked, "Did he admit it?"

I nodded.

My mom swore under her breath, her voice shaking.

Sophie was still there.

She immediately told me to write down everything that had happened.

She said, "Do it as soon as you can; note the time, the place, and exactly what was said."

While holding Isobel, I typed everything out on my phone.

My fingers were trembling so much.

But I didn't stop.

It was past nine when Willow arrived.

She stood at my mom's doorstep, her hair windblown and messy.

She clutched a bag of meds in her hand.

My mom tried to shut the door as soon as she saw her.

But Willow fell to her knees right then and there.

Someone in the hallway opened their door to see what was going on.

But Willow didn't care.

She said, "Mrs. Francis, please."

I stared at her.

She said, "Freddie bled a lot today.

"He's always been frail since he was little. When Emmalee passed away, he was just this tiny thing."

She cupped her hands together, showing how small he used to be.

Tears streamed down her face. "I'm not a bad person.

"I've watched him grow up. I can't sit back and watch him fade away."

I asked, "So that's why you came to my house to look after Isobel?"

Willow shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "That wasn't the reason at first.

"That wasn't the reason at first."

"Mr. Francis just wanted me to see her.

"Freddie kept asking what his little sister looked like."

"And then what happened?"

Willow lowered her head. "Then the doctor said there was a good chance a family member could be a match.

"Mr. Francis told me not to tell you yet, to wait until the results came in before saying anything."

I let out a bitter laugh. "So if the results were a match, you'd finally tell me, but if they weren't, you'd just keep lying to me, right?"

Willow was speechless.

I asked her, "Did you take Isobel's teething toy?"

Her head shot up.

Her expression said it all.

My mom was shaking with anger.

But somehow, I stayed calm. "Willow, you spent three months taking care of Isobel.

"She used to drift off in your arms, tug at your collar, and beam up at you.

"When you took her stuff to test for another kid, did you ever feel bad for her, even for a second?"

Willow's shoulders slumped.

She was on her knees, sobbing.

She said, "I'm sorry. I didn't have any other choice."

"Plenty of people are desperate, too. But you can't treat someone else's child like a cure."

Just then, the elevator doors slid open.

I thought Taylor had come back.

But it was Eloise who stepped out.

She was wearing a dark coat, and her face showed no surprise at all.

She glanced at Willow, who was still kneeling on the floor, and then turned her gaze to me.

She said, "Are you done making a scene?"

I hugged Isobel even tighter. "So you knew all along."

She walked up to the door, her voice icy. "What's wrong with the Francis kids saving each other?"

I stared at the folder in her hand.

She thrust the folder toward me. "Tomorrow morning, take Isobel to the hospital.

"If you refuse, we'll take this to court."

The folder was left open.

A sheet of paper was sticking out of the bag.

At the top, it said "Kinship Identification Application."

In the applicant section, Taylor's name was already there.

After Eloise finished speaking, the hallway was so quiet that all I could hear was Isobel's soft breathing.

I looked at the file bag she held out, but I didn't reach for it.

Her hand stayed suspended in the air, her expression unwavering.

She wasn't here to negotiate.

She was here to deliver the news.

Sophie stepped out of the room.

She had been organizing documents in the living room, and when she heard voices at the door, she had already started recording on her phone.