We reached St.
Catherine’s as two attendants pushed a wheelchair toward a waiting car.
A silver-haired woman sat beneath a blanket.
Her left hand rested against her chest.
Three blue stars marked her wrist.
“Rachel!”
Her head lifted.
David stepped between us.
“You need to leave, Anna.”
I pushed past him.
Rachel’s eyes found mine.
Her mouth opened, but only a broken sound emerged.
I knelt beside her.
“It’s me.
I’m here.”
Her fingers touched my face.
“Anna.”
One word.
It carried eighteen missing years.
Claire stopped several feet away.
“Mom?”
Rachel stared at the tattoo on Claire’s wrist.
Her whole body began to shake.
“My baby.”
Claire dropped to her knees.
“You didn’t give me away?”
Rachel pulled her close with one arm.
“Never.”
David seized the wheelchair handles.
“This reunion is medically unsafe.
Rachel is under my guardianship.”
Margaret stepped from behind Emily.
“No, she isn’t.”
David’s face tightened.
Margaret held up a court record.
“Your authority expired.
The renewal documents carry a forged physician’s signature.”
“You signed half of them.”
“And I gave the originals to the investigators this afternoon.”
David turned toward the waiting car.
Two men inside avoided his eyes.
“You paid them to move her?” I asked.
“I arranged proper care.”
Rachel gripped my sleeve.
“He came every month,” she said slowly.
“He said Claire was happy.
He said you hated me.”
David bent toward her.
“You were confused, Rachel.
You still are.”
She raised her right hand and pressed a small flash drive into mine.
“Michael’s ledger.”
David’s hand shot forward.
Claire caught his wrist.
“You took my mother once,” she said.
“You’re not taking anything else.”
He pulled free.
“Give me the drive, Anna.
I will return every dollar and transfer the house to you.”
“You stole from my parents.”
“I made investments.”
“You forged my name.”
“To protect the family.”
“You hid my sister.”
“To protect Emily.”
Emily stepped beside me.
“Stop using my name to excuse what you did.”
David’s voice sharpened.
“If Anna hands over that drive, you keep your trust fund.
If she doesn’t, I will make sure none of you see a cent.”
“I don’t want your money.”
“You say that now.”
“I said it at the bank.
I’m saying it again.”
David looked toward Rachel.
“Tell them what really happened.
