Vanessa didn’t try to touch him.
I noticed that too.
Priya waited until they disappeared into the bookstore.
Then she opened her briefcase.
“Your sister forwarded me the documents.”
“How bad is it?”
“The financial side?”
I nodded.
“Potentially very serious.”
She showed me copies of
the home-equity paperwork.
My signature appeared on every page.
It looked almost perfect.
Almost.
But Tyler had made a mistake.
I always connected the C and l in Claire.
The forged signature didn’t.
“Can we stop the loan?”
“It may have already funded.”
My stomach dropped.
“Where did the money go?”
“We’re working on that.”
“Tyler said he could explain.”
“I’m sure he can.”
Her tone told me exactly how much she valued Tyler’s explanations.
Then she took out another page.
“Your sister also found something else.”
“What?”
“The birth certificate for Mason you sent her.”
I looked at the document.
I had seen it hundreds of times.
My name.
Daniel’s name.
Mason’s birth date.
“What about it?”
“Your sister called the county records office.”
My chest tightened.
“They have a certificate on file with the same registration number.”
“And?”
“The details don’t match.”
I stared at her.
match?”
“The father.”
“Daniel?”
“He isn’t listed on the original record.”
I leaned back.
Priya continued.
“There was an amended certificate filed fourteen months later.”
“After Tyler and I were together.”
“Yes.”
“Who filed it?”
“We don’t know yet.”
My thoughts began racing.
Daniel had been my boyfriend.
He had been with me through most of my pregnancy.
He had disappeared shortly before I gave birth after telling me he wasn’t ready to be a father.
At least that was how I remembered it.
He resurfaced months later only to sign away parental rights.
I had hated him for years.
“What name is on the original certificate?”
Priya looked toward the bookstore.
Then back at me.
“No father is listed.”
My pulse slowed.
“That isn’t possible.”
“Why?”
“Because Daniel was at the hospital.”
“You remember seeing him?”
I opened my mouth.
Nothing came out.
