He gathered the papers but left the envelope on the table.

It was the first honest thing he had given me in days, and it looked impossibly small compared with the trouble it contained.

PART 7: Hannah Hears Everything

Hannah agreed to meet us the following evening in the small family conference room beside the neonatal unit.

The hospital social worker had offered it so we could have privacy, and she encouraged us to bring our legal counsel into any questions involving the surrogacy agreement.

She would not decide the outcome of our family meeting.