Chapter 3: The Children He Never Knew Existed
For several seconds, nobody moved.
The little girl was still clinging to my neck.
The boy had one hand wrapped around my fingers.
I knew them.
Of course I knew them.
Emma and Noah.
My children.
My six-year-old twins.
The children Daniel had never met.
The children he had once accused me of being unable to give him.
Daniel's champagne glass slipped from his hand.
It hit the hardwood floor and shattered.
"Claire?""
His voice sounded unfamiliar.
I stood slowly, keeping one arm around each child.
"What?""
He stared at them.
"Who are they?""
Emma looked up at him.
Then she looked at me.
"Mummy, who's that man?""
I swallowed.
"Someone I used to know, sweetheart.""
Daniel took a step forward.
"Claire, what is going on?""
Dr. Harris entered the room.
"Daniel, I think you should lower your voice.""
Daniel turned sharply.
"Doctor, what the hell are you doing here?""
"I was invited.""
"By whom?""
Dr. Harris glanced at me.
"By Claire.""
Daniel's face changed.
I had never seen him look so frightened.
Not during our divorce.
Not when I signed the settlement.
Not even when he walked away from our marriage.
He was frightened now.
Vanessa moved away from him.
"Daniel, do you know these children?""
He didn't answer.
She looked at me.
"Claire?""
I nodded.
"They're mine.""
The room seemed to inhale.
Someone dropped a fork.
A woman near the fireplace whispered, "Those are her children?""
Daniel shook his head.
"No. No, this doesn't make any sense.""
I looked at him.
"Why not?""
"Because you couldn't...""
He stopped.
I tilted my head.
"Couldn't what, Daniel?""
His mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
Emma tugged at my dress.
"Mummy, can we have cake?""
I looked down and forced a smile.
"Of course, sweetheart. In a minute.""
Noah leaned closer.
"Is this the house with the big blue balloons?""
"Yes.""
"Can we go outside after cake?""
I kissed his forehead.
"We'll see.""
Then I looked at Daniel again.
"You wanted me to come and see what I could never give you.""
His face drained of color.
"Claire, that's not what I meant.""
I glanced at the invitation.
"Really? Because you wrote it in your own handwriting.""
He looked toward the guests.
"Everyone, please. This is a private matter.""
Margaret let out a bitter laugh.
"Funny. You didn't seem concerned about privacy when you made that toast.""
Vanessa stepped forward.
"Daniel, answer the question.""
He turned to her.
"Not now.""
"Yes, now.""
She looked at the children.
"Are they yours?""
Daniel's silence was answer enough.
I tightened my arms around the twins.
"No," I said quietly.
"They're not his.""
Vanessa looked confused.
"But you were married.""
"For seven years.""
"And these children are six?""
"Yes.""
Her face went pale.
Dr. Harris placed the brown envelope on a nearby table.
"Perhaps everyone should sit down.""
Daniel pointed at him.
"You have no right to interfere.""
The doctor didn't move.
"I think I have considerably more right than you imagine.""
I felt my heart begin to pound.
The children were becoming restless.
Emma looked at the room full of strangers.
Noah squeezed my hand.
I bent down.
"Sweetheart, why don't you and Emma go with Aunt Melissa for a little while?""
As if summoned by her name, Melissa appeared from the hallway.
She had been waiting near the entrance.
"Come on, you two. I brought something special in the car.""
Emma looked at me.
"Are you coming?""
"In a minute.""
She kissed my cheek.
"Don't be sad, Mummy.""
That nearly broke me.
Noah followed her, but not before looking at Daniel.
"Why is that man angry?""
I stroked his hair.
"He's just surprised.""
Melissa led them away.
When the door closed behind them, I turned to Dr. Harris.
"Why did you bring that envelope?""
He looked at Daniel.
"Because there is something you deserve to know.""
Daniel laughed nervously.
"Claire, whatever this is, we can discuss it privately.""
I shook my head.
"You chose the audience, Daniel. You invited forty people to watch me be humiliated. I'm not leaving now.""
Several guests lowered their eyes.
Margaret moved beside me.
"She's right.""
Dr. Harris opened the envelope.
Inside were several documents.
I recognized the clinic's letterhead immediately.
My stomach tightened.
"Doctor, what is this?""
He removed a laboratory report.
"It's the original record from your final fertility cycle.""
Daniel stepped forward.
"That's confidential.""
"Yes," Dr. Harris replied.
"Which is why I will only discuss the information with the people legally entitled to receive it.""
He looked at me.
"Claire, do you remember the last appointment you attended with Daniel?""
I nodded.
"Four years ago. Just before he moved out.""
"Do you remember asking me to explain the fertilization results?""
"Yes.""
"And do you remember what I told you?""
I searched my memory.
I remembered the fluorescent lights.
The smell of disinfectant.
Daniel sitting beside me, checking his phone.
Dr. Harris telling us that the cycle had failed.
I remembered crying in the parking lot.
But I also remembered something else.
A few weeks later, after Daniel had left, the clinic had called me.
They said there had been an administrative review.
I had been asked to sign a new consent form.
I never understood why.
"Doctor," I whispered, "what happened?""
He placed the first report on the table.
"Your final cycle was not unsuccessful in the way you were led to believe.""
Daniel went completely still.
Vanessa looked between us.
"What does that mean?""
Dr. Harris turned another page.
"During that cycle, three embryos were successfully created. Two were transferred according to the treatment plan, and one was cryopreserved.""
I stared at the document.
"Three?""
"Yes.""
"But you told us...""
"I told you the transfer had not resulted in a confirmed pregnancy at that time.""
Daniel's voice cut through the room.
"That's enough.""
Dr. Harris ignored him.
"The remaining embryo was stored under the clinic's preservation protocol. After the divorce, the clinic received a formal request concerning the records and the disposition of the remaining material.""
I looked at Daniel.
He was staring at the papers.
"Claire," he said, "you don't understand.""
I could barely breathe.
"Then explain it.""
Dr. Harris placed another document beside the first.
"This is the reason I came today.""
I looked down.
My name appeared on the top line.
Underneath it was a date.
A date from four years ago.
And below that, a signature.
Daniel Whitmore.
My eyes moved across the page.
It was a consent authorization.
But something was wrong.
"Why is his signature here?""
Dr. Harris folded his hands.
"Because he submitted a request to change the embryo's legal disposition.""
Daniel stepped forward.
"That document was never supposed to leave the clinic.""
Vanessa stared at him.
"What did you do?""
He turned toward her.
"Vanessa, please.""
"No. What did you do?""
I looked at Dr. Harris.
"Tell me.""
The doctor took a breath.
"Before your divorce was finalized, Daniel requested that the remaining embryo be released under an arrangement that would allow it to be used by another couple.""
My knees weakened.
I grabbed the edge of the table.
"Another couple?""
"Yes.""
I looked at Daniel.
"You gave away our embryo?""
His jaw tightened.
"It wasn't going to be used.""
"You gave away our child?""
"It was an embryo, Claire. And our marriage was over.""
The words hit me like a slap.
Dr. Harris intervened.
"Daniel, that is not an accurate description of the process.""
Daniel turned on him.
"You told me it was legal.""
"I told you that any disposition required valid consent from both genetic contributors. I never told you that one person's signature was sufficient.""
The room went completely silent.
I stared at the document again.
My signature was missing.
My hands began to shake.
"Did you know?"" I whispered.
Daniel said nothing.
"Did you know he couldn't do that?""
Dr. Harris answered.
"Yes. The clinic rejected the request.""
Daniel looked furious.
"That was an internal administrative issue.""
"Then why did you tell me the embryo had been destroyed?"" I asked.
His face went blank.
For the first time, I saw the truth in his expression.
He had never expected me to find out.
But Dr. Harris wasn't finished.
He removed one final document from the envelope.
"This is the most important record, Claire.""
I looked at it.
A transfer authorization.
A patient reference number.
And a date.
My voice barely worked.
"What is this?""
Dr. Harris looked directly at me.
"After your divorce, the embryo remained frozen. Several months later, the clinic received a request to investigate a discrepancy in the original treatment records.""
Daniel began backing away.
Vanessa grabbed his arm.
"Daniel, stay here.""
Dr. Harris continued.
"During that review, we discovered that the original treatment file had been altered.""
I looked at the pages.
"Altered how?""
He hesitated.
Then he pointed to a line near the bottom.
"The original report showed that the embryo had been successfully transferred and was being monitored under a separate treatment protocol.""
My mouth went dry.
"To whom?""
Dr. Harris looked at Daniel.
Then at me.
"That's what we still need to establish.""
Daniel suddenly shouted.
"STOP!""
Everyone jumped.
He grabbed the documents.
But Margaret moved faster.
She snatched the envelope from the table and held it against her chest.
"Don't you dare," she said.
Daniel's face turned red.
"Give that to me!""
"No.""
Vanessa stepped away from him.
"Daniel, what have you done?""
He looked at her, then at me.
For a moment, his expression was almost pleading.
"Claire, I can explain.""
I looked at the man who had once told me my body had failed him.
The man who had written eight cruel words on a baby shower invitation.
The man who had spent four years pretending our marriage was the only thing he had lost.
I took a breath.
"Then start with one question.""
He swallowed.
"What?""
I pointed at the document.
"Who was the woman who received our embryo?""
Dr. Harris opened his mouth.
But before he could answer, Vanessa suddenly covered her mouth.
She stared at the transfer date.
Then at the children who were visible through the glass doors, laughing with Melissa in the garden.
Her face turned white.
"Daniel," she whispered.
He looked at her.
She took one step backward.
"That date...""
Her voice cracked.
"That's the date you told me we conceived our baby.""
May you like
And then she looked at me.
"Claire, I think there's something you need to know about my pregnancy.""
