by Livia Grant
Nick hadn't come down from Andi's room yet when the doorbell rang. Cali dried her hands and went to answer it. When she opened the door, she found a man she had never seen before. Alarm bells started going off. They still hadn't gotten any more details on Andrea's paternity testing and it was the one thing hanging out there that threatened to ruin their new lives together.
"Can I help you?"
"I'm looking for Nicholas Mikos."
"May I ask who's calling?"
The visitor hesitated long enough that Nick was half way down the stairs. "Did I hear the doorbell?"
Cali stepped back and opened the door wider so Nick could see their visitor as she answered. "Yes, I was just trying to understand how I might help this gentleman."
"Blackburn. What are you doing here? I was expecting you to call earlier."
"I decided I needed to see you in person. Can I come in?"
The look on Nick's face told Cali all she needed to know. This was the private investigator and he was here with more news. For a minute, she wondered if Nick was going to turn him away. He didn't.
"Come on in. Cali was just making some soup and sandwiches. Would you like some coffee or a beer?"
The man named Blackburn came in and followed Nick to the back of the house while Cali closed the door. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to follow them or not. Nick sensed her dilemma and turned to hold out his hand. "Coming, baby?"
Relief flowed through her. He was letting her in on one of the most private conversations he might ever have in his life. A conversation that could determine how much danger he was in of losing his daughter.
When they got to the kitchen, Cali went back to fixing dinner, trying not to hover over the men, although it was clear she would hear everything that was discussed.
Blackburn didn't beat around the bush. He and Nick were only seated at the kitchen island for a few seconds before he asked an uncomfortable question.
"Are you sure you don't want to go to your office or somewhere more private for this conversation?"
Cali couldn't resist turning around. Nick looked at her with a loving smile before answering. "I'm sure. Cali knows everything. I trust her."
"Okay. Good enough for me." Blackburn launched into the reason for the visit. "So how much do you know about Veronica's work history between college and showing up with the baby?"
Nick replied, "She had started out in nursing which was a joke considering she hated the sight of blood. She switched her degree over to healthcare administration. I know she had a couple of different jobs working in doctor's offices when we were dating and then I think she got a position in admissions at some hospital at one point right before we broke up."
"Exactly. I'm almost certain that's where she had access to infants."
Nick jumped up to his feet. "Jesus Christ. Are you telling me she stole a baby? She was a conniving bitch, but I don't believe she would outright steal someone's baby."
"Sit down. Let me finish." Once Nick had sat, Blackburn continued. "There were no babies reported stolen or missing from Baltimore Memorial during the time she worked there, but I did some digging into all of the births during the three month period around Andi's birthday just the same, trying to track down where all of those babies were today and I did find a couple of interesting things."
Cali had just turned to start dinner when she heard Baltimore Memorial. Her pulse picked up at just the mention of a place that had brought her so much pain in her youth. Unwanted memories of a year that had changed her life forever invaded. She had fought so hard to forgive and forget, but in the end, her family had fallen apart forever in that damn hospital.
She hadn't been paying attention for a while, so when she started listening again, she had trouble following the conversation. Blackburn seemed to be going through a list of names. "Not only was the guy I talked to at the address on the admissions record acting funny, but that was the only name on the list that was definitely of Greek heritage. You sent me Andrea's picture and it's clear to me that was how Veronica was so successful in her ruse. Andrea looks so much like you and I'm guessing her parents were Greek as well. As you know, there is a large Greektown in Baltimore. I'm heading back down there tomorrow to take another crack at the guy in person this time to see if I can find out more."
Cali's heart was pounding so hard her ears were ringing. The room had started to spin and she vaguely heard Nick cautioning Blackburn to be careful. The last thing they needed was to get someone suspicious of why they were asking questions.
Cali blurted the question, interrupting the men. "When is Andi's birthday? I know it was recently."
Nick looked confused as to why she was interrupting with a stray question, yet he answered. "February."
Her breaths were becoming shorter. It couldn't be? They wouldn't have done that to her? "When in February?"
"Why?"
"Nick, just tell me. What day is her birthday?" She didn't mean to shout at him.
"Valentine's Day. She was born on Valentine's Day in 2007."
"Holy fuck." Cali almost collapsed. Nick jumped up to rush to her, catching her in time and helping her to sit at an open stool at the island.
"Calista. You're scaring me. What's wrong, baby?"
"It's not possible. Every single year... they knew how broken hearted I was. They wouldn't have..."
"You're not making sense."
Cali knew the next question she needed to ask. It came out as a whisper. "Who are you going to see tomorrow in Baltimore?"
Blackburn looked down at the open file on the counter before looking up with his answer. "George Petros."
She heard the howl of pain. It took her a few seconds to realize it was coming from her. She sensed Nick holding her up from falling. She could see the worry etched on his face. It was the last thing she saw before she fainted into his arms.
Something was terribly wrong. Nick just couldn't figure out what it was. After Cali fainted, he scooped her into his arms and carried her to the living room couch to lay her down.
"Blackburn, will you wet a couple paper towels with some cold water and bring them over?"
The PI didn't answer, but Nick could see him moving into action in the kitchen.
He looked down on Calista's pale face, not understanding what had happened that upset her. He replayed the conversation they'd been having over in his head and came up with no answers.
He placed a pillow under her head and propped up her feet. When the cold compresses arrived, he started wiping her face until she started coming around. She awoke in the same panic she had fainted in. Her eyes looked frantic and it cut him.
"Shhh. Calista, you're safe. Take a few deep breaths, baby." Blackburn pushed a glass of cold water into his hand and Nick lifted it to her lips and helped her to take a few sips.
Her panic wasn't receding. "You have to believe me, Nick. I swear to you. I'm not like Veronica. They lied to me too. I didn't know."
"Slow down, Cali. I know you are nothing like Veronica. Now who lied to you?"
Her answer was in the form of an anguished cry. "My parents."
She hadn't wanted to talk about her family with him. All Nick knew was her mom had died when she was in college and she was estranged from her dad. She was an only child.
"What did they lie about?"
Nick was confused. She shook her head as if she was afraid to answer. Blackburn stepped up closer to peer down on them from above as he pushed her for answers. "What did they lie about, Calista?"
She looked between the men frantically. "Why did they do this to me? Year after year they watched me go to her grave and put flowers there. The whole time they knew where she was. They let it tear us apart and didn't stop it."
"Cali, you're not making sense." Nick was more confused than ever, but Blackburn seemed to be catching on.
"What was your maiden name, Ms. Bennett?"
Cali didn't answer. She was falling apart before their eyes. "All this time. I lost so much time." She loo
ked like she was going into shock to Nick. He played Blackburn's last question over in his mind. Why would he be asking for her maiden name?
"Daddy. What's wrong with Cali?" Nick looked over the back of the couch to see Andi in her pajamas. She couldn't be here.
"You aren't supposed to be out of bed, Andi. Go on. Up to bed. I'll bring your dinner to you soon."
She wasn't listening to him. She was too worried about Cali and Cali was pushing to sit up all of a sudden as Andi came around to stand near them.
The frantic look in her eyes as she looked at Andi scared him, yet as each second passed, Calista seemed to calm more until her breathing had normalized. When she reached for his hand, he could feel her trembling.
"I never told you why I didn't want to go back to Greece."
"Is that really important right now?"
She gave a sad smile. "Yes. Unfortunately it is. I spent several summers in Greece with my Dad's family. My mom and dad usually went with me, but when I was fifteen, my parents let me go by myself. I felt so grownup to be traveling alone. It was different being there without them, though. I didn't speak enough Greek. I just hung out with my cousin." The panic was returning to her beautiful face. "I swear to you, Nick. I didn't know."
"Didn't know what?"
Cali tore her gaze away from his to look down at their joined hands. It was as if she couldn't look him in the eye and it made him uncomfortable. He almost missed her answer. "Angelo."
"Who's Angelo?"
"My cousin. He was two years older than me... and... he liked me."
Nick's mind was racing with what she was trying to tell him. It couldn't be.
She continued. "He liked me a lot, but he... hurt me... bad." Her eyes met his again; the tears were flowing freely down her cheeks. "My grandfather disowned him and shipped me home right away, but it was too late. My parents were furious that I'd been hurt in Greece and it caused major family problems. By the time I found out I was..." She stopped to look at Andi with a look of love that melted his heart before returning her gaze to Nick. "...that I was pregnant, it was already too late for... well you know. I wouldn't have done it anyway. Never. I knew I was too young to be a mother, but it didn't matter to me. My parents fought about it constantly, but I told them it was my decision."
It was Nick's turn to look at his daughter. When he turned back to Cali, all he could say was "Impossible."
Calista looked up at Blackburn. "February 14, 2007?"
"Yes."
"Baltimore Memorial?"
"Yes."
"Mother's name Olympia Petros?"
He looked at the file in his hands before answering. "Yes."
Nick injected. "But who is Olympia Petros."
"Olympia was my great-grandma's name. My parents named me after her." She reached across to her purse on the nearby end table. She pulled out her passport and handed it to Nick. His hands were shaking as he opened it to see Olympia Calista Petros. "I had to use this as ID recently when filling out paperwork at the bank. I haven't updated my passport yet with Bennett and now I never will."
They all sat in silence for a long minute before Andi asked, confused. "Daddy, what does this mean?"
He saw the hope in Cali's eyes. For the first time, he looked back and forth between the two most important women in his life, really seeing each of them and their resemblance. The black hair, amber-brown eyes. In that moment Nick accepted that surely God had a hand in bringing them together. There could be no other explanation for the miracle of them finding each other.
"Daddy?"
Nick pulled Andi into his arms so they were facing Cali on the couch. "Andi, it means that Calista is your new mommy. Calista Petros Bennett, will you marry me?"
Cali's eye's opened wide with surprise. "Nick, you don't have to do this."
"Yes, Cali, I do."
"But you don't. You know I would never in a million years take her from you. You love her with all your heart."
"Yes, I do. But, I love her mother with all my heart too. Don't you see, Cali? We were meant to be a family. You just weren't ready back then so I got an early start, but you're ready now. Think about it. There is no other explanation for us finding each other like this."
They all sat in stunned silence before Cali finally spoke. "You're right. Just think we never would have known if Kevin and Roni hadn't..." She thankfully cut off before she gave away too much in front of Andrea.
Nick knew exactly what she had been about to say. "I know. God had to bless their betrayal."
EPILOGUE
One Year Later:
"That was the best movie, ever! Can we stay and watch it again?"
Calista's heart expanded as she heard the excitement in her daughter's voice. She was trailing behind her family and watched the look of love on Nick's face as he hugged Andi close in the crowd pressing to exit the movie theater. "I think once is enough for today. Maybe I'll bring you and Katie next weekend if you'd like to see it again."
As they walked out into the April sunshine, Cali debated asking Nick to get the car to pick her up at the front entrance. She didn't want to worry him, but she had barely been able to pay attention to the movie. She hadn't felt well all day and couldn't wait to get home and put her swollen feet up.
As the crowd dispersed, he was waiting to take her hand with a concerned smile on his face. "You've been quiet. Are you feeling okay, baby?"
Calista didn't get a chance to answer before a tight cramping consumed her swollen abdomen. She had to stop walking to bend over in pain, squeezing Nick's hand as hard as she could while she rode out the sharp pain. It gratefully passed a minute later leaving her feeling drained and out of breath.
"Oh my God, are you in labor?"
Calista righted herself, but leaned heavily on her husband. "Well, I didn't think so before now, but that sure felt like a contraction."
"Mommy, are you okay? What's wrong?" Cali heard the panic in Andi's voice as she pressed closer.
Cali hugged her. "I'm just fine, but I think it's almost time for you to become a big sister. It feels like your brother or sister was not happy that they missed the movie and are trying to join us in time to see the movie with you next weekend."
Nick's face was pale. "But it's two weeks early."
"Don't panic. Dr. Galloway told me it could be anytime when I saw him yesterday."
"And you're just telling me this now? We should have stayed home today. You should be in bed. You should be..."
Cali cut him off with two fingers to his lips. "Shhh. I'm pregnant, Nick, not sick. Everything is going to be fine."
She sounded stronger than she felt. Inside she was freaking out at the thought of giving birth again, but since she couldn't wait to hold her and Nick's baby in her arms, she steeled herself for the painful labor ahead.
Nick, on the other hand, was falling apart. "What should we do? Should we call the doctor? Should we go straight to the hospital?"
Before she could answer that they should go home and wait until the pains got closer together, the next contraction consumed her. A burning pain gripped her lower abdomen and spread up her spine.
Cali made it through the wave of pain by squeezing Andi with her left hand and Nick's with her right. As other families filed out of the theater around them, they stood linked, waiting for the arrival of the newest member to their family.
When the contraction ended, Cali smiled weakly. "I think the hospital sounds like a good idea."
Nick scooped her into his arms and carried her to the family van. He helped her recline in the back with Andi while he drove too fast to the hospital. He called Katie's parents from his bluetooth on the drive. They had arranged for Andi to stay with her best friend when it was time for the birth. Unfortunately, they were an hour away, so it would be some time before they would arrive to pick up Andi.
"But Dad, I don't want to go to Katie's! I want to stay with you and Mommy." Her voice quavered with worry.
Cali reached for Andi's hand. "Honey, tr
ust me. You'll be better over at Katie's until after the baby is born. It could take hours and we can't leave you in the waiting room alone."
"But I'll come into your room with you. Please."
Before she could answer, the next contraction consumed Cali's attention. A wave of nausea had her fighting back the urge to throw up just as she felt wetness in her underwear, spreading quickly to her stretchy yoga pants and onto the seat of the van. It felt like her body was exploding. She was relieved to see Nick run a red light to get her to the hospital as quickly as possible.
By the time they arrived at the emergency room, Calista knew the wetness between her legs was her water breaking. For the last ten minutes, she had felt as if she had sprung a slow leak that she couldn't possibly stop even if she wanted to. While Nick ran in to get a nurse and a wheelchair, Andi held her mom's hand tightly, afraid to let go.
"Andi, honey. I know we read the book together on where babies come from. Everything that's happening is completely normal. You're going to be a big sister very soon."
"I don't ever want to be a mommy. Not if it hurts this bad."
"Oh, you don't mean that. Having you here with me is worth every single pain that I had."
They had tried to explain to Andrea the complicated circumstances of her birth as best as they could with an eight, now nine, year old. She was an intelligent little girl and accepted the truth of her parentage with an ease Cali and Nick marveled at.
"Did it hurt when you had me, too?"
Calista's answer was delayed by another strong contraction that brought grunts of pain. She answered meekly as she saw Nick running out the door of the ER. "Of course it hurt and it took a long time since it was my first time, but what hurt the worst was when I thought you had died. That broke my heart."
Andrea's face lit up. "But now I'm your little miracle, right?"
