“Congrats, Mom. Your dreams have come
true!”
“She looks just like you. No need for a DNA
test.”
“No, Ashley, help me up. My legs are weak.”
My mom tried to come towards me.
But the girl, quick on her feet, was already there, supporting her.
“I’ve got you, Mom.”
“Call your dad. Tell him to come home now.”
“I’ll do it, Mom!” The girl chimed in again.
Then, she looked up at me, her face a mask of heartbroken vulnerability. “Ashley… do I… do I deserve to have Dad’s number?”
<
“Terrible actress, but loves the drama. Just
like Mom,” Ethan muttered under his breath.
“You’re toast, Ashley. Game over.”
His small hand gripped my shirt. “Ashley, can I be yours? If you leave, take me with you.”
My dad got home after a frantic phone call.
My brother, Michael, cut a business trip short
and rushed back too.
Unlike my mom’s frantic chaos, my dad was strangely serene. “No need for explanations. I already know.‘
“You know?” Everyone stared at him.
My dad gave my mom a knowing look. “You
know it too. It was your decision, remember?
Have you forgotten already?”
My mom looked even more confused. “My
decision?”
“Yes. You said our daughter cried too much
and kept you awake. Told me to swap her for a quiet one. So I did.”
My brother gulped. “Mom, you actually said that?”
