### Chapter 5
In their eyes, I was never the girl who saved Maya's life.
I was the one who pushed their darling daughter, their sweet little sister, their gentle childhood sweetheart, into that icy lake.
I'd once refused my adoptive parents' and my brother's pleas to stay, telling myself that going back to my blood family was coming home to my roots.
I was wrong.
In the ride-share on the way to the hospital with my daughter, I took out my phone.
My finger hovered over one number for a long time.
Then, all at once, that number lit up on its own.
I answered without hesitation, and my brother Carl Farley's voice came through.
"Hey, sis. Your due date's around now, isn't it? Do you want us to come be with you?"
Something tightened in my throat.
He paused, and his voice went even gentler.
"Mom and Dad stopped being angry a long time ago. Ever since they heard the baby was coming, they've been too worried to sleep at night."
The next second he switched on the camera, and the familiar Farley estate garden filled the screen.
Claudia Farley rose from the gazebo chair, tense, her eyes rimmed red. "Sweetheart, are you okay? Being pregnant is so hard, isn't it?"
"Your father said some harsh things back then, but he never meant a word of it."
Otis Farley stood beside her, watching the screen with an ache in his eyes.
"It was only because that Yates boy chased all the way to the airport and shed a few tears that my girl went soft. I was angry because I wanted so much better for you, so I…"
Claudia cried harder, wiping at tears that wouldn't stop no matter how she tried.
"Your mom and dad don't ask for anything. We only want Austin Yates and the Fox family to treat you well. Then we can rest easy."
Off-screen, Carl said softly:
"If you don't want to see us, I'll have the gifts for my niece flown over instead. And Mom and Dad have already lined up the best obstetrics and care team. We won't let you or the baby suffer even a little."
Five years without seeing them, and the two people who used to be so strong now had new lines carved across their foreheads.
Looking at their worried faces, there was no question who my real family was.
Every bit of hurt I'd swallowed broke loose in that moment.
Crying, I turned on my own camera and lifted my daughter up to it.
"Mom, Dad, Carl. The baby and I miss you so much."
My adoptive parents and my brother burst out laughing, delighted.
In that instant, the pull to fly back to the people who loved me hit its peak.
"We're leaving right now. We'll be there tonight!"
The doctor told me the baby was only frightened, that she'd be fine with good care.
The weight lifted off my chest, and I held my daughter close, kissing her again and again.
Sweet girl, tonight Mommy is taking you away.
Back home, I packed my bags at top speed.
Footsteps sounded downstairs, and I quickly hid the suitcase out on the balcony.
Austin walked straight to the closet, dug out a clean set of clothes, and spoke while he changed.
"Maya says she doesn't blame you. After all, she made a small mistake today too."
"Didn't you want to throw a one-month celebration for the baby? Pick a plan and send it to me."
He tapped a few times on his phone, then turned to leave.
In his rush, he didn't even notice how much emptier the closet was.
I caught his arm. "I want to buy the baby an insurance policy. It needs your signature and payment."
I flipped the divorce papers to the signature page, and when I held them out, my palms were a little damp.
But Austin never looked at the content. In a few quick strokes he signed his name.
His back disappeared fast.
I skimmed through his few bare-bones party plans, then opened Maya's latest Instagram post. He'd spent a million on her, throwing a lavish luxury-cruise children's party.
In the photos Maya sat at the center of it all, my family circled around her, smiling sweetly.
A cold little smile pulled at my mouth.
That afternoon, a message from Austin popped up:
"Did you pick a plan yet?"
Night fell. I fed the baby, rocked her to sleep, picked up my suitcase, and headed out.
Only once I was at the curb with my daughter, waiting for the car, did I type back.
"Whatever you decide is fine."
After a long wait, Austin finally got my reply.
The strange unease that had gnawed at his heart all day finally settled.
He couldn't help smiling as he typed: "You worked hard bringing her into the world. Dot, once I get through this busy stretch, the three of us will live the way a family should."
I calmly blocked the number.
Then I got into the ride-share.
"To the airport."
Sixteen to twenty-six.
Ten years of giving, ten years of waiting, all of it came to an end in this moment.
