say a word for wha

ce between the

her waist, a half-peeled yam forgotten on the table. Aurora watched as her

she finally said, h

ra n

the f

ted. "It's...

. "Is he a student? Marrie

didn't

at was

't have

. "I trusted you, Aurora. We gave you everything we d

oftly. "And I'm forever grateful for that. But

arry this shame. Not in this house. What do you want people to say? Tha

o explain anything. I

to figure

r belly starts showing? Wh

sking you to lie for me. I'm just ask

er stare

nother word, she tu

he only sound she could hear was the tickin

k to her. Her mother didn't call her for d

suitcase was wai

t say a word whe

ened the door, and stepped o

ollowed blurred

ew nights with the last of her savings. She lived on bread and instan

ell Damon wh

n't wan

polo

e, obli

ded to figur

alone, her phone ran

gnore

ang

ally pi

ror

ened at the sou

mo

this number?" s

d your emergenc

cou

, already trying to

your apartment. Your office.

dn't be ca

th my child. You don't get to vanish and

anish. I wa

e th

r forehead. "I'm not rea

d to s

N

to decide that

bout my body, my

ne wen

voice lower, "

linked,

d to know. Where

where

ra, p

es. "I'll call yo

he hu

ght, sh

use of t

use of h

me, she realized how

he woke up to a kno

fr

her

oor and peered thr

art st

mo

dn't o

h the door. "I'm not here to take over. O

dn't a

for severa

n l

ning, she got

for expecting mothers. I booked you in for Friday

the screen f

eted the

r heart refuse

. She didn'

thing pu

under a false name. Sat in a plastic

called her n

. Her vitals were stab

was

, "Do you know anything about

tated. "I w

ndly. "Still... any

ed her mout

stop

h was... she did

her biologica

e had hidden at the bottom of her drawer for years. Inside was a birth certif

dn't belong to he

had never s

ed out h

me into a se

t when the first

– British Royal

ood ra

s when sh

e photo of a wom

e's teenage daughter, vanished from

ched Aurora'

he screen, her

first time

st carrying t

as ro