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“Yes?”
“I need your help to find my daughter.”
CHAPTER 12
JAMES
Ibrowsed between screens searching through the adoption agency’s database. Laura had only gotten a little information from her parents about her baby girl, and she couldn’t stop crying for days. Her parents had lied to her about her baby’s stillbirth and had given her up for adoption. For seven long years, Laura thought her baby girl was gone. They’d barely reconciled and broke Laura from the inside out. I closed the laptop and stretched out my arms. Orange and red leaves decorated the backyard. We’d lucked out this fall with warmer weather, and carved pumpkins outside last night. The girls set them on the front porch. Tonight, we planned to add a scarecrow and a few ghosts and graves to the yard. Halloween was just around the corner.
Kensi laughed as her grandfather pushed her onto the swing. Laila squealed on hers. My father stepped between them and pushed one, then the other. I rose off the lounger and felt lightheaded, steadying myself by the railing. My surgery was successful, but healing dragged. The fatigue came in the middle of the day, and soon after I woke up. I recovered with a longer breath and dialed Laura’s number. She picked up on the second ring.
“Hello?”
“Hey, how are you?”
“Getting better.” She pulled in a sniffle. “Thank you for the flowers. They’re beautiful.”
“My pleasure.”
“Did you find anything?”
“Not yet. I’m meeting your parents this afternoon and waiting for Axel’s call.”
“You think a lawyer can do anything?”
“It was an illegal adoption. They took your daughter from you. Lawyers will get the information they need from the agency.”
She caught a breath and let out a shriek. “There’s nothing worse than knowing your child’s out there all alone. Oh, James.”
I pictured her tears and had the urge to drive to her house and kiss them away. My heart broke with each sob. I’d do everything in my power to return her daughter to her arms.
“I know, I know.”
“You don’t know. I’ve been so wrong,” she cried.
“None of this is your fault. You didn’t know, baby. Stop blaming yourself.”
“All these months and years. Oh my God, I’m a monster.”
“Laura, I’m coming over.”
She stopped crying like a switch went off. “No, it’s all right.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’ll be fine.” I heard her blow her nose through the receiver. “Ozzy just went for his nap and I could use a few hours of sleep.”
“You’ll still come to the barbecue this weekend, right?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for anything. Your family is my family.”
“I fucking love you so much.”
The awkward pause between the time I told her I loved her and she spoke again lengthened every time, as if she were fighting an internal battle to tell me how we both knew she felt.
“Is it weird I still want my parents at the barbecue? We’ve missed out on so much already.”
“You’re not upset with them?”
