The funeral was over, and Nancy felt like her heart had been buried with her husband, Patrick. A car accident had stolen him from her, and she was left to face a life without him. As she left the cemetery, an older woman holding a baby stopped her. “Are you Nancy?” she asked, her voice soft but urgent. Nancy didn’t know her, but the woman’s next words shook her to her core: the baby was Patrick’s daughter. Nancy’s breath caught. Patrick, her faithful husband, had a child with someone else? It couldn’t be true—or could it?
The woman, Amanda, said the baby’s mother couldn’t raise her and urged Nancy to take the child. Stunned, Nancy refused to believe it and walked away, her mind racing. But when she reached her car, she gasped—the baby was in the backseat, crying, with no sign of Amanda. Confused and shaken, Nancy noticed a familiar birthmark on the baby’s neck, just like Patrick’s. Her certainty wavered. She had to know the truth. Collecting a sample of Patrick’s hair, she drove to a hospital and requested a rush paternity test, her hands trembling as she handed over the payment.
While waiting, the baby’s cries tugged at Nancy’s heart. She bought formula and diapers, feeding the child as she sat in the hospital. When the results arrived, Nancy’s fears were confirmed: the baby was Patrick’s. Her husband had betrayed her, and the pain cut deep. Determined not to live with this reminder, Nancy searched for the baby’s mother, scouring Patrick’s belongings and car for clues. The car’s GPS revealed a frequently visited address she didn’t recognize. Hoping it was the mother’s home, Nancy took the baby and drove there.
The house was empty, but at the neighbor’s door, Amanda appeared. She explained that the baby’s mother, Emma, had passed away after a heart attack, triggered by news of Patrick’s death. When Nancy learned Emma’s last name, she froze—Emma Warren was her old friend. Overwhelmed, Nancy shared her story with Amanda. In high school, she’d been jealous of Emma and Patrick’s love and lied about being pregnant to break them apart. The lie succeeded, and Emma left, never knowing Nancy’s deception. Now, holding their child, Nancy vowed to make amends by raising the baby as her own. Years later, she told the girl, Catherine, the truth. Catherine’s loving response—that Nancy was her true mother—brought healing to a heart long burdened by guilt.
