BELLY
I did not even know what she looked like. I could not get pictures of her at the hospital because no one had wanted to stalk a child for me. And each time I asked Annalise, she had one excuse or the other to give.
Yet here I was, sitting in a borrowed car with my face hidden, convinced I would know my daughter the moment I saw her.
Maybe it was foolish or a mother's madness. Either way, it was all I had.
The school bell rang, and a few minutes later, the children began pouring out through the gates in noisy, restless groups.
I kept my eyes trained on the exit, barely blinking, searching for something I could not explain.
Then there was a pull. A sign.
A little girl who made my heart recognize her before my mind did.
It didn't take long to confirm it was truly her as the wi
