Mariah wrote that she regretted that.
She also wrote something else.
Rebecca had promised, in writing, that if anything happened to Mariah, she would step forward for Elelliana. The second document in the envelope was a notarized guardianship nomination signed six years earlier.
The third was a copy of a letter from Rebecca acknowledging that promise.
Elelliana listened without moving.
When Carmen finished, she asked one question.
“So she knew who I was.”
Nobody lied to her.
“Yes,” Carmen said.
Elelliana began to cry without sound.
Nathan had seen adults cry from grief, rage, and shock. This was different. She seemed to be trying not to take up enough space for the crying to inconvenience anyone.
He moved to the floor beside her chair.
“You can be loud,” he said.
That broke whatever she was holding.
She sobbed into the sleeve of her mother’s coat while Dr. Chen turned away to give her privacy and Carmen wiped her own eyes.
“She looked at me,” Elelliana said. “She looked right at me.”
“I know.”
“And the babies.”
“I know.”
“She knew.”
“Yes.”
The truth did not make the next steps easier.
It made them clearer.
Rebecca could no longer pretend she had no connection to the children. Carmen sent the documents through the proper legal channels. A judge appointed an advocate for Elelliana and the twins. Rebecca’s lawyer stopped describing her as a stranger and began arguing that an old guardianship nomination did not force a person to accept placement.
On that point, everyone agreed.
No court could make Rebecca become a safe mother by declaring her one.
Three days later, Rebecca came to the hospital.
Elelliana saw her through the glass and went completely still.
“You don’t have to meet with her,” Carmen said.
“I want to.”
