“The test proved it, Captain. You brought a stranger’s child into our family.”

“The test is a forgery, Patricia,” General Hayes said.

He walked past her, his boots clicking on the hardwood floor.

He stood between me and my mother-in-law.

“Captain Morgan is leaving with her daughter, and she is leaving now.”

Daniel looked down at his shoes, the ringing phone finally falling silent.

“Daniel, say something,” Patricia hissed.

“She’s taking my daughter.”

“Is she your daughter, Daniel?” I asked him.

He didn’t look up.

He just stared at the blank screen of his phone.

“Let’s go, Captain,” General Hayes said.

He reached down and took the heavy duffel bag from my hand.

I held Emma close to my chest, her cheek resting against my collarbone.

We walked out the front door into the cool night air.

The porch light cast long shadows across the concrete driveway.

Behind us, the front door slammed shut so hard the glass rattled.

General Hayes led me to his official vehicle, a dark SUV parked at the curb.

His driver, a young specialist, quickly opened the rear door for us.