She held up the Voluntary Relinquishment of Parental Rights. Six names. Monica’s signature at the bottom.
She turned it so the 150 guests could see — so Victor’s “new family,” seated in the third row, could see.
“My mother didn’t lose us,” Audrey announced to the silent room. “She signed us away. In writing. So she’d look unencumbered in front of exactly the people sitting here today. It was never my father’s fault. It was her signature.”
The room went so quiet you could hear the caterers stop moving in the next room.
Monica turned pale. “Oh my God,” she whispered. “How is this possible? HOW DARE YOU?!”
“How dare I?” Audrey said softly. “Mom. You signed the paper. I just brought it to the party.”
Chapter 5: The Parent Who Stayed
Monica left before the cake was cut.
Her “new family” left before she did — it turns out Victor’s people have no more appetite for a woman who signs away six children than anyone else does. I heard, later, that the sparkle had mostly gone out of that life years ago anyway. I felt nothing about it. That surprised me. For fifteen years I thought I’d feel something.
