The ultrasound photo was still stuck to the fridge with a faded magnet when Lara’s phone rang the next morning.
She was halfway through her bowl of cornflakes, spoon frozen mid-air, when the screen lit up with an unknown number. Kai was in the shower—water running, steam slipping under the bathroom door. For a second she almost ignored it. Almost let it go to voicemail like she used to when bill collectors called.
But something in her gut twisted. That same uneasy spark the baby had been sending lately, only sharper.
She answered.
“Hello?”
A smooth, cultured voice filled her ear. Male. Calm. The kind of calm that made the hair on her arms stand up.
“Lara Adebayo. How lovely to finally speak with you.”
Her stomach dropped. She set the spoon down carefully, fingers trembling. “Who is
