Tina struggled to feel happy for her best friend Megan, who was proudly showing off her adopted son, Shawn. “He’s perfect, Meg,” Tina managed to say, though she was mourning her own son’s death and dealing with a recent divorce.
Megan, glowing with happiness, pointed out Shawn’s cute features to her best friend. When Tina held the baby, she was shocked to feel an unexpected warmth and familiarity.
Something caught her eye—a distinctive birthmark on the baby that looked exactly like the one her late son had. Unable to hold back her emotions, Tina started sobbing with the baby still in her arms.
Megan rushed to comfort her. “Tina, are you okay?” she asked, patting her shoulder. “No,” Tina replied weakly.
Megan tried to console her, admitting that maybe they should’ve waited before introducing Tina to Shawn. But Tina wasn’t listening; thoughts raced through her head. Could Shawn really be her Liam?
“I need some air,” Tina said suddenly, needing to escape. She handed Shawn back to Megan and left, trying to convince herself that her thoughts were irrational. Her baby had been declared dead at the hospital. This had to be a coincidence.
At home, Tina faced her grief by opening a baby book with Liam’s photos. The birthmark in the picture matched Shawn’s exactly, worsening her suspicions. Should she wait or act now? Determined, Tina contacted a private investigator, Detective Harris, to find out if Shawn could be her biological son.
“I need to know if my son is still alive,” she told him, gripping her phone tightly. “I think my friend’s adopted son might be my own.” She explained the birthmark similarity, and Harris agreed to take the case.
“There’s one thing, though,” Tina added hesitantly. “Megan can’t know about this. Not until we’re sure. I… I know how crazy this sounds, Detective Harris, but I need to know.”
“Discretion is part of the job, Ms. Collins,” he assured her.
The café was bustling with people, but Tina was focused on the door. She had invited Megan over, hoping to learn more about the adoption process. Megan arrived late, but Tina wasn’t worried. Megan sat down and immediately grabbed Tina’s hands. “I’m so sorry for pushing you to meet Shawn… Can you forgive me?” she asked. “Of course,” Tina replied, hiding her true feelings. “I’m sorry I reacted that way. Tell me about the adoption.”
“I don’t know, Tina. I don’t want to upset you,” Megan said, avoiding eye contact. “Our friendship means a lot to me, so I’ll try,” Tina urged. Megan briefly shared about the adoption, mentioning the paperwork and the waiting but didn’t elaborate. After a few minutes, Tina directly asked how she found Shawn. “Through an agency… It was a private adoption,” Megan said cautiously.
Tina pressed for details about his background, but Megan insisted it was confidential. “Why are you asking all these questions?” Megan wondered. “I think Shawn might be my son,” Tina admitted, showing a photo of Liam’s birthmark. “It’s a birthmark, Tina. Thousands have them,” Megan argued. “I know this is hard for you. I’m sorry. But you’re grieving…”
“It’s not just grief, Megan!” Tina snapped. “When I held him, I knew. The birthmark confirms it. Just admit it.”
“Tina, this is insane. Shawn is my son. I adopted him legally,” Megan said, standing up. Tina rose too, grabbing her friend’s arm. “Look me in the eye and tell me you don’t see it’s exactly the same as Liam’s!” Megan snapped back, “They are not the same! You’re out of your mind!”
The café manager intervened due to the commotion. Tina suggested showing the photos, but Megan refused, calling her behavior crazy and leaving in tears.
Even then, Tina was convinced of her theory. She tagged her ex-husband, Mark, in photos of Shawn she found on Megan’s social media before being blocked.
Mark told her to stop, as it was too painful for him. Their marriage had dissolved due to Liam’s death, and he just wanted to move on.
Others told her to stop, and Megan refused her calls. No one seemed to be on her side. At last, Detective Harris called with a lead on the adoption. A nurse named Hayley from the hospital where Tina gave birth had facilitated it. This revelation hit hard, recalling Hayley’s presence in the delivery room. “That woman stole my baby,” Tina concluded, cutting off the call to look up a lawyer’s address.
“It’s a complicated case,” the lawyer said after Tina explained her suspicions. He explained the hurdles of private adoption and DNA proof.
“Let’s get the DNA test,” Tina insisted, but the lawyer cautioned about obtaining consent and the potential length of the process.
Tina wasn’t giving up. She headed to the hospital to confront Nurse Hayley but found she no longer worked there. As she dragged herself to the car, her phone rang.
“Tina,” Detective Harris said urgently, “we’ve got a problem. Megan is packing, clearing out her bank account, and booking international flights. Call your lawyer. You need to stop her or you’ll never see that baby again.”
After calling her lawyer, Tina learned she had to request a specific order immediately. But the courthouse required an appointment. “Emergency custody order? You need an appointment,” the clerk stated.
“No time for appointments. My son’s being taken abroad. Kidnapped!” Tina protested. Doris checked her schedule. “Next opening, two weeks.”
Determined to act fast, Tina dashed to the airport. “My son is being taken,” she explained breathlessly to security. The officers were confused. “Ma’am, please, just calm down. We’ll sort it out,” one said.
Ignoring them, she ran toward Megan. “You can’t take him!” she yelled. “He’s mine. I know about the nurse, the adoption… she was at the hospital.”
Megan looked up, startled. “Tina, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, frightened.
“He’s my son, Megan. I can feel it. And the birthmark…” Tina’s voice broke.
Megan held Shawn tightly. “He’s my son, Tina. I’m raising him,” she said, voice trembling.
Tina’s gaze never wavered from Shawn’s face. “I love him, Megan. I’ve never stopped loving him.”
Megan’s face crumpled. Tears flowed, mirroring Tina’s inner storm. “I just wanted to give him a good life. He had no one, and I… I was so alone.”
Tina sighed. “He needs us both, Megan.”
Megan’s expression turned hopeful. “Shared custody?”
Tina nodded, but she didn’t mean it. The DNA test confirmed Shawn was indeed Tina’s son. Megan hung her head as they read the results. “I knew too,” Megan confessed.
“What do you mean?” Tina pressed.
“The fear of losing him blinded me,” Megan explained. “I saw his birthmark. But I convinced myself you were wrong, believed it was a coincidence.”
“Meg…” Tina whispered.
“I’m so sorry, Tina,” Megan sobbed. “I never meant to hurt you.”
Tina hugged her friend, understanding that devastation deeply. A full investigation ensued, but they had other concerns. “Did you bring the shared custody papers?” Tina asked the lawyer. Liam would have two moms, because Mark had left the country. They would build a beautiful family, redefined by love and resilience.
