Victoria never went to Yale. She deferred her admission, then never enrolled. She spent 6 months in a depression so deep our parents had to hire a nurse to make sure she didn't hurt herself. When she finally came out of it, she was different, harder, colder. Rachel wiped her eyes.
She told me once that she'd left part of herself in that hospital room, the part that knew how to love without being afraid. Daniel thought about Victoria's face when she'd asked about his bed. The fear in her eyes, the trembling in her hands. When did she start looking for Lily? Almost immediately.
But adoption records were sealed back then, harder to access than they are now. Victoria hit dead end after dead end. Our parents refused to help. Said she needed to move on. Forget the baby ever existed.
Rachel laughed bitterly. Forget? As if you could forget your own child. So what did she do? She built an empire.
Rachel gestured around the modest apartment. Everything Victoria achieved, the company, the money, the power. She did it for one reason, to find her daughter. She used to say that when she was rich enough, powerful enough, no sealed record could stop her. No secret could stay buried.
And she was right. Eventually, it took 15 years, three different private investigators, and more money than most people will ever see. But 6 months ago, her investigator called with news. Rachel's voice dropped. He'd found her, a six-year-old girl named Lily Carter living in Chicago with her adoptive father.
Daniel's chest ached. Why didn't she tell me immediately? Because she was terrified. She'd spent 15 years building up to this moment, and when it finally came, she froze. Rachel reached across the table and touched Daniel's hand.
"You have to understand, Daniel." Victoria had convinced herself that finding Lily would fix everything, fill the hole in her heart, give her life meaning. But when she actually found her, she realized it was more complicated than that. Complicated how. Lily had a father, a good father, from what Victoria could tell. A man who loved her, cared for her, built his whole life around her.
Victoria was terrified that if she came forward, she'd destroy that. She'd be the villain who tore a happy family apart. So, she brought cookies instead. Rachel smiled sadly. She brought cookies.
She asked about drawings. She fell in love with her daughter all over again, one visit at a time. The smile faded, and she fell in love with you, too. Daniel pulled his hand away. She barely knew me.
She knew enough. She watched you with Lily. Saw how patient you were, how kind. She read your personnel file, covered to cover your military service, your divorce, the way you stepped up to raise your sister's daughter without hesitation. She used to call me at 2:00 in the morning going on and on about, "Daniel said this and Daniel did that." Rachel shook her head.