Dana immediately stopped both families from doing anything else.
“We need to verify this properly,” she said. “No one is exchanging any infant based on a birthmark or a missing hat.”
For once, everyone agreed.
The hospital drew samples for urgent parentage testing.
The other mother’s name was Tessa.
Her husband, Grant, barely spoke.
He simply stood beside her, staring between the two babies as though he was afraid one of them might disappear if he looked away.
While we waited, Tessa and I sat in the same room.
It was one of the strangest hours of my life.
I held the baby who might be hers.
She held the baby who might be mine.
Neither of us knew how much we were allowed to love the child in our arms.
At one point, the baby I was holding started crying.
I rocked her automatically.
Tessa watched me.
“She’s been doing that little squeak before she cries,” I said.
Tessa nodded through tears.
“She did it right after she was born too.”
That was when I nearly lost control.
I wanted my daughter.
But I also wanted this baby returned safely to the woman sitting across from me.
Hours later, Dana returned.
I knew from her expression before she spoke.
“The tests are conclusive.”
Nolan reached for my hand.
“The infant currently with Elara and Nolan is biologically Tessa and Grant’s daughter.”
Tessa covered her mouth.
Dana continued.
“And the infant with Tessa and Grant is biologically Elara and Nolan’s daughter.”
I cried so hard I couldn’t hear what anyone said for the next minute.
The exchange happened slowly, with several staff members present.
I kissed the forehead of the baby I had been holding.
“You’re going to your mom now,” I whispered.
Then Tessa brought Wren toward me.
The moment my daughter was back in my arms, I looked at her face first.
Then I pulled the blanket slightly away from her shoulder.
Dark oval.
Left side.
Exactly where Nolan had said it was.
I touched it gently with one finger.
Nolan leaned down beside me.
“Thumbprint.”
I started crying again.
This time, he did too.
Later, when we were calmer, Nolan turned to the administrator.
“I want to understand the bands.”
The administrator looked uncomfortable.
“So do we.”
“How did another baby end up wearing my wife’s name?”
The investigation took most of the day.
Eventually, they pieced together what had happened.
Both girls had been in the assessment area at the same time.
During a busy shift change, someone returned them to the wrong bassinets.
That was the first mistake.
The second happened later.
One baby’s identification band had loosened during the assessment.
Instead of verifying the infant directly against the mother’s original band and chart, a staff member printed a replacement using the information attached to the bassinet.
