“Can I use this?” I asked, voice barely more than a whisper.
The aide nodded, and I pressed the digits, each one echoing the past I’d tried to forget.
Elena Answers
The line crackled, then a familiar voice, soft and tentative, filled the speaker.
“Caleb? Is that really you?” Elena’s breath sounded shaky, as if she’d been holding it for years.
My throat closed around the words. “Elena… I just— I saw Lucy. She has your birthmark. Your name is on her file.”
She was silent for a heartbeat, then a sigh escaped her. “I gave her up… after the miscarriage. I’ve been watching the agency’s records, hoping… hoping someone would find her.”
My heart hammered. “Why now? Why call me?”
She hesitated, then said, “I’m at the park across the street. Meet me there? We can… we can talk.”
Before I could answer, the sound of a child’s gasp cut through the line.
