Chapter 2 - The Recording
Lily set the box between us on the sofa. Pale wood, worn corners, a tiny brass latch. I recognized it before she even opened it — Vivian had owned one exactly like it, sitting for years on her nightstand, holding old photographs, concert stubs, the silver bracelet her mother gave her at graduation. After Vivian died, I had packed that box myself. It should have been in storage.
Lily lifted the lid. A soft melody began to play. Vivian's favorite lullaby.
For a moment I couldn't breathe.
Inside were folded papers, a faded hospital bracelet, a broken plastic sleeve, and a small digital recorder.
"The sleepy lady talks," Lily said, and pressed a button before Rosa could stop her.
Static filled the room. Then Vivian's voice emerged — weak, breathless, unmistakably hers.
"If anyone finds this, please listen before you make a decision."
I sank onto the sofa.
"I don't know how much time I have, and I don't know who I can trust. Marcus thinks our second embryo is still at the clinic. I let him believe that because he'd already lost so much."
My name, spoken in Vivian's voice after three years of silence, broke something open in me.
"The embryo was transferred before my second round of treatment. Not to me."
A long pause, filled with shallow breathing.
"I signed the consent forms. I made the decision without telling Marcus."
I closed my eyes. Vivian had never lied to me. At least, that's what I'd believed for three years.
"I asked someone I trusted to carry our child. It wasn't a simple choice, and it wasn't made out of desperation alone. I wanted Marcus to have a family if I couldn't survive."
The recording distorted, then her voice returned, softer.
"The surrogate's identity must remain private until the baby is safe. There are people around the program who've already broken laws. I discovered too late that patient files were being copied and sold. Wealthy families. Genetic records. Embryo inventories. I don't know how far it goes."
Rosa stared at me. I barely saw her.
"Camila Delgado helped me after the transfer. She promised she'd watch over the pregnancy. If she brings the baby to Rosa, it means something has gone wrong."
Lily's head rested against my shoulder. My daughter. The words entered my mind before I could stop them.
"Marcus, if you're hearing this, I am sorry. I know secrecy is not love, no matter how much fear tries to disguise it. But I could not bear to watch you lose another child while you were losing me."
A quiet sob through the speaker.
"I thought I could tell you when the baby was born. Then the clinic director came to Ashgrove and asked questions he shouldn't have known to ask. He knew the transfer had happened. He knew where the surrogate was staying. Camila helped move her."
A cough, a pause.
"When the child is safe, tell Marcus the truth. Give him the key. He'll know what to do."
The recorder clicked off. No one spoke.
Lily reached up and touched my face. "Why are you crying?"
I hadn't realized I was. "Because I missed the sleepy lady."
"She sounds nice."
"She was."
Lily considered this. "Is she my other mommy?"
Rosa's breath caught. I didn't know how to answer.
Before I could try, the house intercom chimed. A staff member's voice came through the wall panel. "Mr. Wren, there's a Dr. Owen Bell at the gate. He says it's urgent."
The name hit me like a second collision. Dr. Bell had directed the fertility clinic. He'd overseen Vivian's treatment. I hadn't spoken to him since the year she died.
Rosa rose fast. "Do not let him in."
"Why?"
"Camila mentioned that name once. The night she gave me Lily."
My eyes went to the recorder. Vivian had said the clinic director came to Ashgrove. "Did Camila say he was dangerous?"
"No. She said she didn't know whether he was protecting the child or protecting himself."
The intercom chimed again. I pressed the button. "Tell Dr. Bell to wait at the gate."
I turned to Lily and knelt in front of her. "I need to talk to someone for a few minutes."
Her lip trembled. "You won't leave again?"
The fear had nothing to do with biology. It came from thirty nights of waiting for someone she'd decided belonged to her.
I held out my hand. "How about we make a promise? I will stay in the house."
"Forever?"
"I will not leave tonight."
She studied my face, weighing it, then nodded. Rosa took her hand. "Come with me, cariño. We'll make hot chocolate."
"With marshmallows?"
"With two."
Lily looked back at me as they walked away. "Daddy?"
"Yes?"
May you like
"Don't forget me."
"I won't."
