Chapter 21
Violet.
“So what do you…
“Excuse me.” I brush past the woman and walk straight over. “Violet.”
The woman turns and my face falls, it isn’t her. “Excuse me, my apologies. I thought you were someone else.” “Sorry to disappoint you.” She smiles.
“Not at all.” I fake a smile and walk to the bar; I wait in line with a full drink in my hand.
“Everything all right?” Mark asks from beside me.
I glance up. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
“You thought that was Violet Coleman, didn’t you?” “Who?” I act oblivious.
“You know, I hate seeing your face fall every time you see a redhead.”
“Yeah well… There are a lot of things I hate about you.” I drain my glass and slosh it around in my mouth before swallowing. “Stop watching me and get back to work.”
“Last time I looked, my job is watching you.” He winks.
“Fuck off,” I mouth.
He saunters back to his place by the wall and I step forward in line to the bar and drag my hand through my hair as I wait.
I hate that he knows me.
Violet
“We’re going to get going, sweetheart.” Mom kisses my forehead.
“Well done today, Violet,” Dad says as he looks lovingly down at the babies in their crib besi. “You did good, baby.”
bed.
“Thank you so much for being in the delivery room with me.” I kiss my mom as she leans over me and then my dad. “I’m so grateful for you two.”
“We’ll be back first thing tomorrow.” Dad smiles as he adjusts the baby’s little blue bonnet. “You be good
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The Conspiracy of Baby Switching
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bathes for your momma tonight,” he tells them, and with one last smile, they disappear down the corridor
It’s midnight, and the maternity ward has fallen quiet. My room is dark and lit only by the strip lighting
in the bathroom
For the first time I’m left alone with my two babies, fraternal twins, a little boy and a line girl Wrappat tightly in their little bunny rugs and snogged in together in the one crib
I’m having this weird out of body experience, it’s as if I’m hovering way up above and watching the three of us. Together at last but then so alone,
No dad here to welcome them into the world, to comfort me, or to tell us it’s going to be okay. Words that I so desperately need to hear.
Now that they’ve arrived and are real life little people, my deception seems all too real.
I’m a bad person, I should have told him.
I
My nostrils flare as I try to keep it together, the lump in my throat is painful. It’s like I’ve been holding in tears for nine months and the glue that held me together is disintegrating before my eyes.
This is a happy day. I will not cry.
A hot tear rolls down my cheek and I swipe it away.
“Hey,” a nurse says as she walks through the door. “Are you okay, darling?” She comes and sits on the side of my bed and takes my hand in hers.
“Yes,” I whisper. “Big day, huh?” I nod.
“Are you in pain?”
“No.”
“Don’t be a hero, Violet, C–sections are painful, and you need to be rested before you go home alone with these babies.” Home alone.
Hearing it out loud breaks the dam and I screw up my face in tears. “Oh sweetie, tomorrow will seem a lot brighter. I promise.” I nod, unable to answer through the lump in my throat.
She reads my chart and pulls out some pills from her pocket. “Here’s what we’re going to do.” She passes me the pills. “You’re going to have these and try and get some rest, and I’m going to sit in that chair in the corner and watch over you and your babies while you sleep.”
“But…”
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“But nothing, you won’t be alone tonight.” She squeezes my hand in hers, the tears rolling down my face. “I won’t leave you. I promise.”
“Thank you,” I whisper. I take the tablets and lie back down and she pulls the blankets up over me and tucks me in.
“What are you going to name your babies?”
I shrug, unsure. “Something Italian.” “Their father is Italian?” I nod.
She gives me a sad smile, finally understanding why I’m upset.
There was no donor sperm, only a lie covering for an absent dad.
She sits on the side of my bed and rests her hand on my shoulder, such a simple act of kindness that means so much. “What are your favorite names?” “Dominic and Lucía,” I whisper.
She smiles down at me. “They sound like the perfect names.”
“You think so?”
“You’re going to be fine, darling, and you’re going to find the love of your life and he’s going to love your babies just as much as you do.” I screw up my face in tears again, damn it. I’m unstable.
“Close your eyes and go to sleep,” her loving voice whispers, she brushes her hand over my hair. “Tomorrow’s a new day.”
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The Conspiracy of Baby–Switching
