No Such Thing As A Hollywood Ending

chapter 48

Lucy woke up with a start, her heart racing before her mind had fully caught up to reality. The sunlight filtering through the curtains told her it was well past 7 a.m., but what really shocked her was the absence of crying. Normally, at this hour—or any hour, for that matter—either Madeline or Jessica would be awake and demanding attention. She glanced over at Henry, still fast asleep beside her, and for a brief moment, she allowed herself to feel the peacefulness of the morning.

But the peace didn't last long. Her maternal instincts kicked in, a pang of worry spreading through her chest. Babies didn't stay quiet for long, especially not newborns. Something had to be wrong. Carefully, she slipped out of bed, making sure not to wake Henry, who had been exhausted from their nightly routine of feedings and diaper changes.

Lucy tiptoed across the room toward the crib, where both girls lay. Madeline, their biological daughter, was fast asleep, her tiny chest rising and falling steadily. Next to her, Jessica—Amelia's child—was wide awake, but something about her demeanor was unsettling. Jessica wasn't crying or fussing. Instead, she was lying perfectly still, her eyes open and focused, staring up at Lucy with an intensity that made her stop in her tracks.

Lucy's breath caught in her throat. Babies didn't just stare like that, especially at this age. Was something wrong? She knelt beside the crib, examining Jessica more closely, but the baby seemed perfectly fine. No signs of discomfort, no obvious distress. But still, Lucy's heart raced. Should she call a doctor? This wasn't normal.

Suddenly, Jessica's lips moved, and what came out was something that turned Lucy's world upside down.

"Mom, who was that stranger you took me to see? And why does she claim she's my mom when that can't be right. You're my mom. Right?"

Lucy stumbled backward, nearly knocking over the small lamp on the nightstand. Her hand flew to her mouth, her mind reeling. This wasn't possible. Jessica was not even a month old. There was no way she could talk—let alone form coherent thoughts like that. But the words had been clear, undeniably spoken by the tiny child who was now looking at her with a calm but confused expression.

Lucy stood frozen, her mind racing in a thousand directions. What the hell is going on? she thought. Do babies talk now? Did something happen? Did I just hallucinate?

She couldn't stay silent. She needed help. She needed Henry.

Without another word, Lucy hurried back to the bed and shook Henry awake, her hand trembling as she did so. "Henry, wake up! Wake up, please!"

Henry groaned, his eyes blinking open slowly. "What's going on?" he asked, his voice groggy.

Lucy couldn't even begin to explain. "Jessica... she... she just spoke," she stammered.

That woke Henry up completely. He sat up, confusion written all over his face. "Spoke? Lucy, are you sure?"

"I—I don't know!" she stuttered, pacing back and forth in the small bedroom. "But she said something—she asked why we took her to see Amelia, and why Amelia said she was her mom!"

Henry stared at her, dumbfounded, as Lucy continued to pace. Her voice rose in panic as she rambled on, "It's not possible, right? Babies don't talk at this age! I mean, it's not like we've had time to read baby books or anything, but I'm pretty sure that's not normal! Should we call a doctor? Or maybe we should—"

Henry reached out and gently grabbed Lucy's wrist, stopping her mid-panic. "Breathe," he said firmly. "I'll talk to her."

Lucy stared at him in disbelief. "Talk to her? Henry, she's a baby!"

"I know," Henry said, "but if she really did say something, I need to hear it."

He stood up, his own nerves barely contained, and walked over to the crib. Jessica, still wide-eyed and alert, looked up at him just as she had with Lucy. He knelt down, leveling his gaze with hers. For a moment, he hesitated. How do I even approach this?

"Jessica," he said softly, unsure if this was how you were supposed to address an infant who suddenly started talking. "Can you tell me what you said to Lucy?"

To his shock, Jessica's tiny face scrunched up, and after a moment of silence, she spoke again.

"Who was that woman you took me to see?" she repeated, her voice eerily calm for a baby. "She said she's my mom, but you and Mom are my parents. Right?"

Henry stared at her, his mind racing. He wasn't prepared for this—no one could be. But he had to keep his composure, even if inside he felt like he was losing his grip on reality.

"Jessica," Henry began carefully, his voice shaking slightly, "that woman you met... her name is Amelia. She's... biologically your mother, but Lucy and I are the ones raising you."

Jessica blinked at him, her expression unchanged. "But if you and Lucy are my parents, why do I need to see her?"

Henry struggled to find the right words, feeling the weight of the situation. "It's... complicated. Amelia gave birth to you, but she can't take care of you like we can. So we're your parents, but she's still a part of your life. We wanted you to know her, even though it's hard to explain right now."

Jessica was silent for a moment, her baby-sized brain seemingly processing this incredibly adult conversation. Then, to Henry's relief, she didn't ask another question. Instead, she just nodded—a gesture so human, so mature for a newborn, that Henry's stomach flipped.

Lucy, who had been standing in the hallway, eavesdropping on the entire exchange, was pacing frantically. "Henry, what the hell is going on?" she whispered, her voice barely above a hiss. "How does a baby understand all of this?"

Henry rubbed his temples, trying to calm himself down. "I don't know," he admitted. "But we can't freak out. We'll figure it out. Maybe... maybe we should talk to a specialist. Someone who knows about stuff like this."

Lucy stared at him, her mind still spinning. "A specialist? You think there's someone who specializes in talking babies?"

Henry shrugged. "I have no idea. But right now, we need to focus on keeping her safe and figuring out what this means."

Lucy nodded, though the panic was still evident in her eyes. "Yeah... yeah, you're right."

As they stood there, staring at Jessica—who, despite all the strangeness, seemed perfectly content in her crib—Lucy felt her heart pound in her chest. Nothing about their lives had been normal since the beginning, and it seemed like that trend was only going to continue.