Chapter 5 - THE FILE LINDA BROUGHTMy sister Grace found the papers in my home office.
Not Mason’s wife Claire.
My actual sister Grace lived in Spokane and had been delayed by the storm.
She arrived at my house that night.
Found the folder.
Photographed every page.
Called me.
“Hannah.”
“What?”
“This isn’t only emergency medical authorization.”
My pulse rose.
“What else?”
“There’s a temporary standby guardianship form.”
“For who?”
She went quiet.
“For Baby B.”
I looked at the bassinets.
The hospital had temporarily identified them during delivery:
Baby A — Mae.
Baby B — Eli.
Baby C — Jonah.
My skin went cold.
“What does it say?”
“It says if you are incapacitated after delivery, Richard and Linda can place Baby B with Mason and Claire temporarily.”
“Can they?”
“It’s not executed correctly.”
“Meaning?”
“No notarization. Missing witness signatures. Daniel didn’t sign.”
Relief.
Then Grace continued:
“But your signature is here.”
I stopped breathing.
“Is it mine?”
“It looks like it.”
Memory.
Linda turning pages.
“Sign there.”
“What’s that?”
“Emergency planning.”
Yellow tabs.
Fatigue.
I had signed.
Maybe without reading.
My mistake.
May you like
Not consent to adoption.
But enough for Richard to tell himself a story.
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