Chapter 7: The Second Crib
The photograph stayed on my phone long after the screen went dark.
Two little girls.
Nia.
Ava.
And the sentence beneath them:
*Only one of them was supposed to survive.*
I couldn't make sense of it.
So I did the only thing a father does when the world stops making sense.
I went home.
Daniel drove.
Nia sat between us in the back seat, wrapped in my jacket, staring through the window.
Nobody spoke for the first ten minutes.
Then she asked, “Dad?””
I turned around.
“Yeah?””
“If Mom is alive… why didn't she come for me?””
The question broke something inside me.
I looked at Daniel.
He kept his eyes on the road.
I turned back to Nia.
“I don't know.””
She nodded slowly.
“That's what I thought.””
“No.””
I reached for her hand.
“Don't ever think that.””
“But she left.””
“She didn't leave because she didn't love you.””
“How do you know?””
“Because she called me.””
Nia looked down.
“What did she say?””
“That she was trying to protect you.””
“From Vanessa?””
I hesitated.
“From people connected to Vanessa.””
Nia was quiet.
Then she asked the question I had been avoiding.
“Was Vanessa ever my mother?””
“No.””
The answer came instantly.
“She isn't your mother.””
“Then why did she hate me?””
I looked at the passing headlights.
“I think she was afraid of you.””
“Why?””
“Because you knew something she didn't want you to remember.””
Nia frowned.
“I don't remember anything.””
“I know.””
Daniel finally spoke.
“That may be the point.””
We arrived at the house just after midnight.
The front door was unlocked.
I immediately knew something was wrong.
I held up a hand.
“Stay here.””
Nia grabbed my sleeve.
“No.””
“Nia—”
“I'm not staying in the car.””
Daniel looked at me.
“She has a right to know.””
I hated that he was right.
We entered together.
The house was dark.
Too dark.
The birthday decorations were still hanging in the backyard.
Golden balloons moved in the wind.
One had escaped and was tapping against the glass door.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Like someone knocking from the other side.
I switched on the lights.
Nothing.
The kitchen was exactly as we'd left it.
Except the blue box was gone.
I turned toward Daniel.
“You took it.””
“No.””
“Then Vanessa did.””
He shook his head.
“She wouldn't need to. She already knows what's inside.””
I walked upstairs.
Nia followed.
Her bedroom door stood open.
I stopped.
There was something on her bed.
A small white envelope.
My name was written on it.
I opened it.
Inside was a key.
And one sentence.
*The nursery.*
I looked at Daniel.
“What nursery?””
He stared at the key.
“The old one.””
“What old one?””
He didn't answer.
Nia did.
“Dad.””
She pointed down the hallway.
“At Ava's room.””
We walked to Ava's bedroom.
She wasn't there.
Her bed was empty.
The blankets were folded back.
Her stuffed rabbit sat upright against the pillow.
I grabbed it.
“Ava?””
Nothing.
I felt panic rise in my throat.
Then I noticed the closet door.
It was open.
Behind the clothes was a narrow wooden panel I had never seen before.
I pulled it.
It opened.
A staircase descended into darkness.
Nia whispered, “We have a basement?””
“No.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“This house didn't have one.””
We went down.
The air smelled like damp earth.
At the bottom was a narrow corridor.
Two doors stood opposite each other.
One was painted pink.
The other blue.
I stared.
“What's this?””
Daniel touched the wall.
“This wasn't here when I lived here.””
I opened the pink door.
Inside was a nursery.
Two cribs.
Two rocking chairs.
Two tiny dressers.
The walls were covered with faded stars.
And above the cribs were two names.
*NIA*
*AVA*
My knees weakened.
“No.””
Nia walked slowly into the room.
She touched the first crib.
“I've seen this.””
I turned.
“What?””
“In my dreams.””
Daniel looked at me.
I moved toward the second crib.
Inside was a blanket.
A yellow blanket with tiny blue birds.
I knew it.
I had seen Ava wrapped in it the day she came home from the hospital.
I picked it up.
Something fell from beneath it.
A photograph.
This one was older.
It showed Elena sitting in the rocking chair.
She was holding a newborn.
Another newborn lay in the second crib.
Two babies.
Two girls.
I flipped it over.
*November 13, 2009.*
My hands started shaking.
“Nia was born in 2010.””
Daniel nodded.
“I know.””
“Ava was born in 2017.””
“I know.””
“Then why are there two babies here?””
Daniel's face was pale.
“Because the dates don't mean what you think.””
I looked at him.
“What do they mean?””
Before he could answer, a noise came from behind the blue door.
A soft cry.
I froze.
“Nia?””
“No.””
It came again.
A child.
Crying.
I opened the door.
The room was empty.
Except for an old television.
It was playing a video.
I stepped closer.
The image was grainy.
A young Elena stood beside a hospital bed.
She was crying.
A man stood beside her.
Daniel.
But he looked twelve years younger.
And in Elena's arms was a newborn baby.
I stared at the screen.
Then Elena spoke.
“This is Nia.””
The video cut.
Another scene.
Elena stood in the same room.
She was holding another baby.
“This is Ava.””
The screen went black.
Then words appeared.
*IDENTITY TRANSFER — COMPLETE.*
Nia covered her mouth.
“What does that mean?””
I couldn't answer.
Daniel did.
“It means they switched the records.””
“Why?””
“Because one child was being hunted.””
“Which one?””
Daniel looked at Nia.
“Both.””
The television suddenly flickered.
A woman's face appeared.
Vanessa.
She looked exhausted.
Her eyes were red.
“Marcus,” she said.
I stepped closer.
“Where is Ava?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“I don't have her.””
“Then who does?””
“You need to understand something.””
“Where is my daughter?””
Vanessa swallowed.
“She isn't your biological daughter.””
I slammed my fist against the television.
“Don't.””
“Marcus, listen!””
“You took her!””
“No!””
Her voice broke.
“I tried to keep her alive.””
“Where is she?””
Vanessa looked behind her.
Then whispered,
“With Elena.””
I stopped.
“What?””
“She's with Elena.””
Nia began crying.
“Mom has Ava?””
Vanessa nodded.
“She's protecting her.””
I stared at the screen.
“Why didn't she take Nia?””
Vanessa looked at Nia.
“Because Nia was never the target.””
I felt a chill.
“Then who was?””
Vanessa's face crumpled.
“You.””
The screen went black.
At that exact moment, the police sirens sounded outside.
Daniel grabbed my arm.
“We need to leave.””
“Why?””
“Because the house isn't safe.””
“Where are we going?””
He looked at the hidden nursery.
“Where this started.””
I followed his gaze.
On the wall behind the cribs, beneath the peeling paint, someone had scratched four words.
*ASK WHO SIGNED THE BIRTHS.*
I touched them.
Then I heard Nia whisper behind me.
“Dad…”
I turned.
She was holding something.
A hospital bracelet.
Tiny.
Pink.
Her name was printed on it.
But underneath her name was a date.
*November 14, 2009.*
Nia stared at me.
“Dad…”
May you like
Her voice trembled.
“Why does this say I was born before you met Mom?””
