“Except that it wasn’t.” Holly’s words cut through

my tears like ice, freezing my breath.

422

“Holly,” Jack sighs. “Sit down, sweetheart, you’re

upset.”

“No, Dad,” she says calmly. “I know what I’m talking

about. It wasn’t an accident. It was deliberate.”

Through my tears, look up at her, standing in the

doorway, holding up something small and shiny in her

hand. It takes me moment to recognize it.

“We were swapped deliberately,” she says again,

her eyes cold and clear, Andy’s phone gleaming in her

fingers. “Weren’t we, Rosie?”

423

Holly

The truth hangs like

shadow in Rosie’s eyes—I

can see it; so can Megan. So can Dad.

She trembles in our gaze. Little Miss Goody Two-

shoes exposed in the harsh headlights of her lie.

“I don’t understand,” Megan begins. “What do you

mean? How …?”

“I think Rosie had better explain,” suggest, taking

seat. “After all”—I meet her gaze coolly—“Sarah’s your

friend, isn’t she?”

She cringes at my words, closing her eyes and

visibly crumpling into her chair.

“Rosie?” Megan says quietly. “Who’s Sarah?”

Rosie’s head hangs miserably in her hands.

“Rosie?”

She takes

deep breath. “Sarah,” she says slowly,

her voice croaky and unrecognizable. “Sarah is

my

neighbor,

family friend …” She trails off in

heavy,

trembling sigh, screws her eyes closed tight. “And

midwife.”

Dad stares at her. So do I, Rosie’s voice mail on

Andy’s cell phone ringing in my ears: Sarah changed

everything when she swapped me with Holly— whether she was right or wrong

424

“But

how?

mean, why?” Megan frowns. “Why

would she swap you?”

“She thought …” watch Rosie struggle for the right

words, if any exist. “She thought she was doing the right

thing …”

“How?” Dad demands. “How could she possibly

think—” He rubs his hand over his face, flattening and

creasing his features. “God!”

“Sarah said that—that Kitty didn’t want her baby,”

Rosie explains, her voice cracking, agony etched in every

word. “That she was going to abandon her …”

Dad looks at her, his eyes deep and fierce in their

sockets. look away. So does Rosie, her lips trembling.

“She thought that Trudie’s baby was going to die,”

she continues, her voice quavering. “My dad had an

accident on the way to the hospital

he died, and

and

Sarah didn’t think that Mum—that Trudie could cope with

any more grief.” She breaks off as tears flood her words

and look away, folding my arms tightly, determined to

swallow my sympathy.

Like mother, like daughter—the article’s right. She’s

just like Kitty—breaking out the sob story, making me feel

sorry for her, making me think she’s like me, that she truly wants to make amends

When all along they were both just buying me off—

Kitty with her ten thousand dollars, Rosie with the five

hundred dollars she slipped under my door last night.

When all along they were concealing the bitter truth.

425

Rosie always knew the swap was deliberate, and

Kitty—my blood boils—Kitty used me. The first letter—

the first contact—I’ve had from her in my entire life, and it was

lie She didn’t want to apologize didn’t want to compensate me for everything she’d done, didn’t want to make amends or stop the press from intruding on our lives! She just wanted to buy me off, buy my silence, so she

could spin her own twisted version of events, paint herself

as

victim,

perfect mother—without worrying that I’d

tell the world the truth, the terrible sordid truth about

America’s beloved sweetheart and her precious freaking

family reunion.

And fell for it.

Well, not anymore.

“So Sarah swapped you,” Dad says, his words cold,

devoid of emotion. His jaw tightens. “She did this for your

mother. For Trudie.”

Rosie nods miserably. “She was desperate—she

thought Trudie’s baby was going to die—”

“So she stole mine?” he demands. “Sarah’s friend’s

child was going to die, so she stole mine?!”

He punches the arm of the chair, making me jump.

look away, my cheeks burning. I’ve never seen him so

angry.

“Jack,” Megan says softly.

“Jeez!” he says, rubbing his hands through his hair.

“Jesus!” He shakes his head. “So when arrived

it was

already done.” He closes his eyes. “God!”

426

“Sarah didn’t mean

she really thought she was

doing the right thing …,” Rosie says nervously.

Dad’s eyes fly open. “You can’t honestly—Rosie, she

did this deliberately— and you want to protect her?” He glares at her, his eyes burning, incredulous. “After

everything she’s put us all through, you honestly want to protect her?!” He springs from his chair, his hands in his hair. “Jesus, Rosie!”

“I’m—I’m so sorry.” Rosie crumples.

“My child was stolen from me— you were stolen

from me—Holly will never know her mother, all because

of this woman—your friend And you didn’t think we had

right to know?” His eyes bore into her as she shrinks in her seat.

“Jack.” Megan touches his arm. “Jack, come on, sit

down.”

“I can’t.” He swallows, his face pale. “I’m sorry, but

can’t be here right now.” He opens the door and slams it

behind him, the glass ornaments shuddering on the

mantelpiece as he hammers down the steps outside.

The silence throbs.

stare at my lap, Andy’s phone cold and shiny in my

hand, Dad’s words rebounding around my head. Swapped.

Abandoned. Deliberate. Stolen

Rosie sniffles beside me. “Holly,” she whispers, her

voice broken and frail. “Holly, I’m so sorry …” She reaches

out to me.

427

“Don’t!” flinch. “Don’t talk to me.” hug my arms

tightly and head for the door. “Don’t ever talk to me

again.”

walk through the kitchen, my body on autopilot.

know what have to do now. grab my jacket and bag and

head out the back door, down the steps, along the street

and straight past Andy, who smiles.

“Don’t bother,” tell him, tossing him his cell phone.

don’t need any more liars, any more deceit.

trusted

Andy, and was just beginning to trust Rosie. thought

she was like me—that this awful mistake had happened to

both of us, had bound us together. But it wasn’t mistake.

And all this time she knew

And so did he.

race toward the dock, tears hot on my cheeks.

need to know now. The truth. Whatever it is. The truth

may hurt, but lies—they’re vicious. They hide coiled up

inside you, ready to strike without warning, without your

even knowing they’re there.

Until it’s too late.

428

Rosie

Megan and sit there in the aftermath, the silence

unbreakable.

feel like an empty sponge, every ounce of energy,

every last drop of truth finally squeezed out of me, leaving

me brittle, hollow, and exposed. This is it. It was all for

nothing. I’ve lost Jack and Megan, I’ve lost Holly and Ben,

and now Nana and Sarah are being sucked into the black