My stepsister begged me to be her surrogate after years of failed IVF — but at 8 months pregnant, I overheard her on the phone saying, “She can’t find out the truth before the baby is born.”

“We need her to hand it to my wife and ask her to sign it.

In front of witnesses.”

Another silence.

Then Marcus said: “My sister-in-law is coming for lunch.

Penelope invited her yesterday.”

“Good,” Joel said.

“That’s a witness.”

“Okay,” Marcus said.

He sounded like a man who had made a decision and was already feeling the weight of what came after it.

“Okay.”

He hung up.

Joel and I looked at each other across Diane’s office.

“She’s going to hand you a document and ask you to sign away your rights to your own niece or nephew,” he said.

“A child who is also your brother’s child.

At a lunch table.”

“Yes,” I said.

“And you’re going to go.”

“Yes.”

He took my hand.

Held it.

“I’ll be in the car,” he said.

“The whole time.

You call me the second you need me.”

I nodded.

Then I picked up my phone and called Daniel.