When the call ended, my hands were shaking again.
Diane hadn’t actually arranged anything.
But mentally, she had already begun preparing for a future in which Daniel and I would give our daughter away.
A future neither of us had ever discussed.
A future neither of us wanted.
A future Diane had created entirely on her own.
For illustrative purposes only
Part 7 — “We Wanted Brenda”
That evening, Daniel called his mother.
“Come over.”
When Diane arrived, she looked exhausted.
I placed my phone on the table.
“I talked to Carol.”
The change in Diane’s expression was immediate.
Daniel noticed too.
“Mom,” he said slowly, “what did you do?”
I stared at her.
“You were trying to give our daughter away?”
Diane sat down.
“I was trying to prepare options.”
“Options?” I repeated.
“For when this became too much.”
I could barely believe what I was hearing.
“And that’s why you were waking her every night?”
