THE BABY WASN’T A SURPRISE
Marcus stared at our son for several seconds.
Then he whispered,
“Alexis… this isn’t possible.”
My heart dropped.
“What isn’t possible?”
He didn’t answer.
Instead, he looked toward the nurse.
“Can you give us a minute?”
The nurse glanced at me before quietly stepping outside.
I turned back to Marcus.
“What are you talking about?”
He lowered his voice.
“I’ve seen this birthmark before.”
I looked at our baby.
A tiny dark mark rested just below his left shoulder.
“Lots of babies have birthmarks.”
“Not like this.”
Marcus carefully turned the baby toward me.
Then he pulled a photograph from his wallet.
I stared at it.
It showed a little boy.
Maybe three years old.
And on his shoulder was the exact same birthmark.
My hands started shaking.
“Who is that?”
Marcus looked at me.
“My brother.”
I frowned.
“Your brother died before we met.”
“I know.”
“Then why do you have this picture?”
His eyes filled with fear.
“Because this photograph was taken twenty-nine years ago.”
I didn’t understand.
Marcus swallowed.
“My mother told me my brother died when he was a baby.”
“Then who is this?”
“I don’t know.”
He looked down at our newborn son.
“But someone has been looking for him for years.”
My stomach tightened.
“What does that have to do with our baby?”
Marcus hesitated.
Then he said the words that made my blood run cold.
“The hospital gave us the wrong baby.”
I immediately shook my head.
“No.”
“I checked the bracelet.”
“Marcus, stop.”
“I checked the number.”
He pulled out his phone.
“There was another newborn boy delivered thirty minutes before ours.”
My face went numb.
“What are you saying?”
Marcus looked toward the hallway.
“I think our son was switched at birth.”
I grabbed his arm.
“Then where is our baby?”
He stared at me.
“I don’t know.”
Before I could respond, the door opened.
A nurse stood there, pale and visibly shaken.
“Mrs. Carter…”
“Yes?”
She looked at the baby in Marcus’s arms.
“We need to speak with you immediately.”
“Why?”
Her eyes moved toward Marcus.
Then back to me.
“Because the other baby’s parents just reported that their newborn is missing.”
My heart stopped.
And then the nurse added one more sentence.
“They’ve already asked to see your baby.”