When his wife gives birth to a baby with dark skin, causing shock and accusations in the delivery room, Brent’s world falls apart. Brent has to make a decision that will test their love and trust for all time, as suspicion and betrayal threaten to rip their family apart.
Finally, Stephanie and I were going to become parents after five years of trying. As Stephanie felt another contraction, her hand tightened around mine like a vice, but her expression remained composed and concentrated.
Our families lingered by the door, allowing us room while remaining close enough to let them in the moment the baby arrived.
After the doctor nodded encouragingly, I squeezed Stephanie’s hand.
I muttered, “You’re doing great, babe.”
She gave me a brief smile, and then the moment arrived. It’s time for all of our dreams and labors to come true.
I experienced a tangle of pride, love, and relief when the first cry broke through the air. It was only when I let out a shaky exhale that I realized I was holding my breath.
Something in the room moved as the nurse placed our tiny, wriggling bundle into Stephanie’s arms. Stephanie had reached out, eager to hold our baby.
With her eyes wide with shock and her face devoid of color, Stephanie gazed at the infant.
She gasped, the words catching in her throat, “That’s not my baby.” “That’s not my child!”
I blinked, not sure what to think. “What are you trying to say? What are you talking about, Steph?
She refused to acknowledge the fact that this was undoubtedly our baby, even as the nurse clarified that they hadn’t yet severed the umbilical cord. It appeared as though she wanted to push it away
