Chapter 4 - Olivia Had Seen Bella as a Newborn
Sarah did not board immediately.
She changed her flight.
One hour later.
Not for me.
For Bella.
The child had become overwhelmed by the tension and needed food.
We moved to a quiet family lounge near the gate.
Olivia sat across from us.
Bella ate apple slices beside Sarah and made Ellie “eat” one too.
I could barely focus.
“The part after she was born,” I said.
Olivia looked at her hands.
Sarah answered first.
“Bella was born in Boston.”
“You moved there?”
“With my sister.”
“When?”
“Two months after I found out I was pregnant.”
I nodded.
“And Olivia?”
Sarah looked at her.
“I sent her a photo.”
My stomach dropped.
Olivia began crying harder.
“When?”
“She was two days old.”
I stared at my wife.
“You saw her.”
“Yes.”
“A newborn photo?”
“Yes.”
“Did Sarah tell you she was mine?”
“Yes.”
Every answer landed cleanly.
No room left.
“Show me.”
Olivia hesitated.
Sarah pulled out her phone instead.
She found the picture.
Bella asleep in a hospital bassinet.
Tiny pink cap.
Ellie propped beside her.
Under the photo Sarah had written:
Her name is Isabella Bennett. Bella. Ethan deserves to know she arrived safely. I am not asking him for anything.
I read it twice.
Then below:
If he asks about me, tell him I’m okay.
I looked at Olivia.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing.”
My jaw tightened.
“Nothing?”
“I panicked.”
“About what?”
Olivia looked at me.
“By then you and I had become close.”
“Friends.”
“Yes.”
“Not dating.”
“No.”
“Then why hide it?”
Her answer came slowly.
“Because I knew if you found out you had a daughter, everything would change.”
Of course it would.
“That was the point.”
“I know.”
“No. You know now.”
She cried.
“I was selfish.”
At least she said it.
Sarah remained quiet.
Not triumphant.
Not vindictive.
That mattered.
I looked at her.
“Why didn’t you contact me directly after Bella was born?”
Pain crossed her face.
“I had already tried.”
“Twice.”
“More than twice.”
I stared.
Sarah had sent one certified letter to my office during the second trimester.
It was signed for by an assistant.
I never saw it.
My father’s medical crisis had turned the office into chaos.
That was not Olivia’s fault.
But Sarah never received a response.
Then she stopped.
“I was pregnant alone,” she said quietly. “I had moved. I was working. I had no idea whether every silence meant you didn’t know or didn’t care.”
My throat tightened.
“So you chose for me too.”
Sarah looked at me.
“Yes.”
That answer surprised me.
She did not defend.
“I did.”
“Why?”
“Because eventually I was tired of begging someone to acknowledge something that was going to exist whether he answered or not.”
Bella looked up at the word “someone.”
Sarah smiled gently at her.
“More apple?”
Bella nodded.
The ordinariness hurt.
Sarah continued quietly:
“I told myself if Ethan wanted me, he knew how to find me.”
I almost objected.
Then stopped.
I had known Sarah’s sister lived in Boston.
I could have looked.
I didn’t.
Because I believed Sarah left to start over.
And pride made that story convenient.
Olivia wiped her face.
“I should leave.”
I looked at her.
“Yes.”
Her eyes widened.
“Ethan—”
“Our flight is not happening.”
Sarah looked away.
I removed my wedding ring.
Not theatrically.
I placed it in my pocket.
“We will talk later.”
Olivia stood.
Before leaving, she looked at Sarah.
“I’m sorry.”
Sarah’s expression stayed guarded.
“You should be.”
Olivia nodded.
Then looked at Bella.
She left without speaking to her.
I sat across from Sarah.
My newlywed wife had just walked away.
My possible daughter was feeding apple slices to a stuffed elephant.
Nothing about my life made sense.
Then Bella looked at me.
“Are you sad?”
I swallowed.
“A little.”
She thought carefully.
Then held Ellie toward me.
“You can hold him.”
May you like
I took the elephant.
And nearly broke.
