“Yes, but you were unconscious for my delivery, so you didn’t see the face of your baby. There’s no telling what happened between the time you delivered your daughter and the moment they brought me to you. The only thing that’s certain, at this point, is that I’m not the baby girl you gave birth to.”

She’d been researching switched-at-birth cases. It was both mind-boggling and fascinating to read about people who’d been stowaways in families not their own. In every case, the children who were switched were of the same gender. They were born at the same place on the same day, often within minutes of each other. Sometimes their mothers shared the same first name.

When a person went public with their switched-at-birth story, attention covered them like a rain shower. Because of that, it seemed to Leah that those who discovered they’d been switched at birth later in life—well after they’d made their way in the world and established families of their own—weathered the storm best.

Which confirmed her initial decision not to tell Dylan, or anyone other than her mother and Sebastian, what she’d uncovered. Leah didn’t aspire to be a whistle-blower. Didn’t want money from the hospital via a court settlement. Didn’t plan to crusade for hospital reforms. She simply wanted to know who her biological parents were and—if possible—to understand how this had occurred.

As she’d read article after article, she’d wondered just how many people who’d discovered they’d been switched at birth had chosen the path she’d chosen and decided to remain silent. A fair number, possibly.

“That’s crazy,” Mom stated. “Those results are wrong.”

“Choosing denial?” Leah asked mildly.

“YourHeritage probably didn’t even bother to run the second sample you sent. I bet they just gave you the same answers as last time.”

Hopefully, Mom would remain in a state of denial. If so, she wouldn’t mount a search for her missing child. Which would make things easier for Leah.

“You haven’t told Dylan, have you?” Mom asked.

“No.”

“Good! Don’t tell him. It will just rile him up.”

“I agree.” Leah was momentarily disoriented. Were she and Mom actually in agreement?

“And there’s no sense getting him riled up over something that’s not even legitimate. You are my daughter.”

“I’m not going to tell Dylan. Will you please sign the waiver that I faxed to you?”

“Why would I?”

“Because it means a lot to me and because I’m asking nicely.”

After a taut moment, Mom said, “Fine.”

“Thank you.”

“Have you been feeding Dylan enough kale, Leah? And also chia seeds? Chia seeds provide fiber, and you both need lots of fiber in your diet.”