Chapter 4
Daddy didn't answer Uncle Daniel's message.
Instead, he saved it and called his lawyer.
Aunt Renee took my hand.
"Come on, sweetheart."
I looked toward Daddy.
"Where are we going?"
"Upstairs for a little while."
I stopped.
"Did I do something wrong?"
Her face softened.
"No, Maya."
"Then why can't I stay?"
She knelt.
"Because your dad needs to talk about things that might frighten you."
I looked toward him.
He was standing by the window.
His shoulders were tight.
His face looked angry.
I didn't want to leave him alone.
But Aunt Renee squeezed my hand.
"Sometimes helping means letting someone handle the difficult part."
I nodded.
Then followed her upstairs.
We watched a movie.
Or at least we tried.
I couldn't concentrate.
Every time I heard footsteps downstairs, I wondered whether Daddy was leaving.
When I heard the front door close, I jumped.
Aunt Renee noticed.
She paused the movie.
"Sweetheart, you're safe."
I looked down.
"How do you know?"
She sat beside me.
"Because your dad and I are taking this seriously."
I wanted to believe her.
I really did.
But Claire had once promised me that too.
She told me she'd always take care of me.
Then she grabbed my wrist and said Noah wasn't my brother.
I rubbed the sore spot on my arm.
Aunt Renee saw.
Her expression changed.
"Does it still hurt?"
I nodded.
She gently examined it.
The redness had faded.
But I still remembered the way Claire squeezed.
"Did she ever grab you before?" Renee asked.
I looked away.
For a long moment, I didn't answer.
Then I whispered, "Sometimes."
Aunt Renee became very still.
"When?"
I swallowed.
"When I touched things she said belonged to Noah."
She waited.
I continued.
"Sometimes when Daddy wasn't home, she'd pull me away from the nursery."
My eyes filled.
"She said I was ruining her perfect family."
Aunt Renee closed her eyes.
Then she hugged me.
"Oh, Maya."
I began crying.
"I tried really hard to be good."
"I know."
"I helped clean."
"I know, baby."
"I stopped asking for hugs when Daddy was busy with her."
Her arms tightened around me.
Then I whispered something I'd never told anyone.
"She said Daddy would love Noah more than me."
Aunt Renee started crying too.
She held me for a long time.
Then she said something important.
"Your daddy's love isn't a prize you have to compete for."
I looked up.
"Even if Noah stays?"
She nodded.
"Even then."
I wiped my face.
I wanted to believe her.
That afternoon, Daddy came upstairs.
Aunt Renee asked if she could speak with him privately.
I knew it was about me.
I could tell by the way they looked at my wrist.
For a moment, I wanted to run away.
I didn't want Daddy feeling worse.
He already looked so sad.
But then he came back.
He knelt beside me.
"Maya."
I looked down.
"Yes?"
"Renee told me Claire has hurt your feelings and grabbed you before."
I nodded.
His eyes filled.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
I swallowed.
"Because I thought you'd be mad."
His face crumpled.
"At you?"
I nodded.
"Claire said you'd think I was jealous."
Daddy closed his eyes.
For a long moment, he didn't speak.
Then he opened his arms.
I ran into them.
"I'm sorry, baby."
I held him tightly.
"I should have listened more carefully."
I began crying harder.
He kissed my forehead.
"You never have to be afraid to tell me when someone hurts you."
I nodded.
Then I asked the question I'd been carrying since the hospital.
"Daddy, am I still your favorite girl?"
His face changed.
He smiled through tears.
"Always."
I hugged him.
Then he pulled back.
"But you don't have to be my favorite to deserve love."
I thought about that.
It sounded strange.
But good.
He continued.
"You deserve love because you're my daughter. Nothing can change that."
I smiled.
For the first time since Noah was born, I felt a little better.
Later that evening, Daddy received a call from the hospital.
Claire had been discharged with Noah.
She was staying with her sister, Vanessa.
Daddy said he would make sure Noah had everything he needed.
But he wasn't bringing Claire back into our house.
I felt relieved.
Then guilty.
Because Noah was with her.
And I missed him.
I had only held him once.
But I missed him terribly.
Daddy noticed my expression.
"What's wrong, princess?"
I looked down.
"Will I ever see Noah again?"
He took a breath.
"We're going to work out safe arrangements."
I nodded.
"Okay."
Then his phone rang again.
This time, he looked surprised.
"Dr. Bennett?"
I recognized the name.
The doctor who had spoken with Daddy about the paternity report.
Daddy listened.
Then his expression changed.
"Are you certain?"
My stomach tightened.
He looked toward Aunt Renee.
Then stood.
"Please send the records to my attorney."
He ended the call.
Aunt Renee frowned.
"What happened?"
Daddy looked stunned.
"The hospital found something unusual in Claire's prenatal records."
I stared at him.
"What?"
He swallowed.
"Claire requested that certain test results be sent to an address I don't recognize."
Aunt Renee leaned forward.
"Whose address?"
Daddy looked at his phone.
"Daniel's office."
Then he added something even worse.
May you like
"The request was made months before Noah was born."
And I realized Claire and Uncle Daniel had known the truth much longer than Daddy had.
