“Want to Explain the Baby You Forgot to Mention?”
Under the glare of the kitchen light, Vanessa stood with her arms crossed, exhaustion replaced by adrenaline. Eric rubbed his eyes as he followed her, his confusion turning to guilt.
“Okay,” she said. “Let’s start with the obvious. Why is there a baby in our bed?”
“What?”
“I panicked,” he said. “I didn’t want to call the police right away. He was crying, and cold… I couldn’t just leave him there.”
“So you kept him?” Vanessa stared, stunned. “You didn’t think to tell me? Not even a message?”
“I meant to. I really did. But then he needed formula, diapers… I got overwhelmed.”
Vanessa shook her head, unsure whether to scream or sit down. She chose neither. Instead, she followed Eric back to the bedroom. Despite everything, the weight of the day pulled her under, and eventually, she drifted into a restless sleep beside her husband—and a baby she’d never seen before.
The Next Morning Brings More Questions Than Answers
Vanessa awoke to voices. Soft, urgent, and unfamiliar.
She pushed the covers back and followed the sound to the living room.
There was Eric, sitting on the couch. Across from him sat a woman she didn’t recognize.
The woman turned, startled. “Oh—no! I promise, it’s not what it looks like.”
Eric stood quickly. “Vanessa, this is Mariah. She’s not who you think.”
“Then explain,” Vanessa snapped. “Because right now, it looks like you had a baby while I was gone.”
Eric held up his hands. “I didn’t cheat on you. I swear. Mariah… might be my sister.”
A Hidden Past and a Long-Lost Connection
Vanessa blinked. “Your sister?”
Eric nodded. “We met a couple of weeks ago—randomly, at the grocery store. We started talking. Something just… clicked. We both grew up in foster care. The stories lined up. We’re waiting on DNA results, but it all makes sense.”
Mariah added gently, “I remember a boy from my old group home who was quiet, kind… I always wondered what happened to him. When I met Eric, it felt like I’d found that boy again.”
Mariah glanced down. “He’s mine. My husband had a family emergency last night and had to fly out. I had no one else to turn to.”
“I didn’t want to throw all this on you while you were traveling,” Eric said. “When you came home last night, I panicked.”
Vanessa looked at them—at Mariah’s kind face, at Eric’s nervous hands. And then at the baby, who gurgled in his sleep in the next room.
The resemblance between Mariah and Eric was undeniable. Same eyes. Same smile.
