Mama.Such a simple word, but it carried the weight of her entire heart. Soon, some stranger in France would claim that title and would hold this precious child and call her their daughter.
“She knows something’s wrong,” Grace observed from the doorway. “Babies are more perceptive than people give them credit for. She can sense the distress in the household.”
“How can I explain to her that the people she loves are about to disappear from her life? How do I make her understand that we’re not abandoning her by choice?”
“You don’t. You fight to make sure it doesn’t happen.”
“I told you; I can’t do it alone.”
“You’re not alone. You have me, Harrison, and Felix. We’ll challenge this claim.”
“On what grounds? The documents appeared legitimate.”
“Appearedbeing the operative word.” Grace moved closer and studied Evie’s tear-streaked face. “Something about this whole situation feels fishy. The timing, the appearance of a relative no one knew existed, and the surfacing of such documents only after Adele’s death.”
“You think it’s fraudulent?”
“I think it’s worth investigating. But that will take time, and resources, and the connections your husband possesses.”
“So, we’re back to needing Owen’s cooperation.”
“We’re back to making him see that some things are worth fighting for, even if the outcome isn’t guaranteed.”
Iris rocked Evie gently, feeling the tension in her gradually ease. How many more times would she hold this warm weight in her arms? How many more lullabies could she sing before silence replaced the gentle sounds of infant life?
“He offered me other children,” she said quietly. “As if they could replace her. As if love were interchangeable.”
“Men sometimes think in practical terms when emotion overwhelms them. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t understand the depth of your attachment.”
“Doesn’t it? Because his solution to losing Evie is to simply produce another child and pretend this one never existed.”
“His solution is panic disguised as pragmatism. Fear makes people say terrible things they don’t mean.”
Iris wanted to believe that. She wanted to think that Owen’s cruel words yesterday had been born of desperation rather than genuine indifference. But the man who’d spoken of faking Evie’s death had seemed genuinely cold and calculating. That personwas nothing like the tender father who sang lullabies in the quiet hours before dawn.
“What if you’re wrong? What if he doesn’t care as much as I thought?”
“Then we fight without him. But I don’t think I’m wrong.” Grace’s voice carried quiet confidence. “I’ve seen how he looks at both of you when he thinks no one is watching. That’s not indifference, Iris. That’s love so deep it terrifies him.”
“Love shouldn’t be terrifying.”
“Shouldn’t it? The deepest love always carries the greatest risks. That’s what makes it worth having.”
They spent the remainder of the morning in the nursery. Grace helped to soothe Evie while Iris tried to imagine a world without her daughter in it.
The baby eventually settled into an uneasy sleep, but her small face remained creased with distress even in dreams.
“She knows,” Iris whispered while smoothing a curl from Evie’s forehead. “Somehow she knows that her life is about to change again.”
“Then we make sure it doesn’t change. We find a way to keep your family together.”
“And if we can’t?”
Grace was quiet for a long time. She studied the sleeping child with fierce determination. “Then we make sure she knows that she was loved deeply, if only for a little while. That she has parents who would move heaven and earth to keep her safe.”
“Had. Past tense.”
“Has. Present tense. Because until that child is gone, she still has parents who love her. And sometimes love is enough to work miracles.”
