The Girl in the Mirror(64)

“He must be able to see the resemblance,” says Annabeth. “The red hair.”

“Speaking of first wives,” says Virginia, “did you know, Annabeth, that my mother is obsessed with the idea that Margaret had a baby, after Dad left her for you? Mum thinks that this baby, who would be older than Summer, obviously, could have had a kid by now, and so maybe the Carmichael heir is already born. Mum also reckons that Ben is secretly having a baby in New York. I know he’s gay, but he could still marry and have a kid for the money—”

“Francine is preposterous!” says Annabeth. “Ridge left Margaret because she couldn’t have kids. They were both over forty. If she’d been pregnant she would have told him in order to save the marriage.”

“Not necessarily,” says Virginia. “She might have figured out what a cunt he was by then.”

“Young lady!” cries my mother. “That’s no way to speak about your father!”

Virginia continues unabashed. “The reason he was my father is that he was screwing my crazy-bitch mother while he was still married to you,” she says. “Why can’t you face the truth, Annabeth? He left you, after all. And who did he leave you for? My mother, who’s been slyly banging his brother all these years, while Uncle Colton strings you along! My mother, who pimps out her own daughter!”

I want to throw my arms around Virginia. She’s provided an awesome distraction.

Virginia and Annabeth start debating why Margaret’s kid, if he or she did exist, wouldn’t have claimed the money already. Virginia mockingly outlines Francine’s paranoid theories, which all contradict each other. Maybe Margaret and her kid don’t know about the will. Maybe they don’t want it to rule their lives. Maybe they’re laughing behind their sleeves watching us have babies for no reason.

Virginia out-argues my mother, even though she clearly doesn’t believe any of it. I think of Dad’s words. Nice is dumb. Virginia is neither. She’s opinionated, cynical, and smart.

And yet despite her cynicism, Virginia has turned her back on the money and walked into the lion’s den, as she sees it, in order to do the right thing.

She loves her baby. Nobody could blame her if she hated the inbred spawn, but she doesn’t. Virginia’s been raised by a greedy lunatic, but she’s still chosen to do right. She has told the truth.

And there’s a truth Virginia doesn’t know. My baby isn’t legitimate, and that means Virginia’s baby is the true heir. Virginia deserves the inheritance that she has come here to give up, regardless of which one of us is first to give birth.

“I think you’re going to get the money after all,” I say. I push myself out of my armchair. I don’t know what’s gotten into me. The words have come out of my mouth before I know what they mean.

“Summer, what are you saying?” asks Adam.

I don’t know what I’m saying. I’m forgetting to be Summer. A spasm racks my frame, and I writhe in sudden agony. Tarquin lets out a wail.

“Something’s wrong,” I say. “I think I’m going to lose the baby.”

“I knew you were in labor!” Annabeth leaps off the couch. “Don’t panic, sweetie! I’ll call Skybird for you. I’ve got her number on speed dial.”

“No!” I cry. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that this baby needs a better midwife than Skybird. “Don’t call her! I don’t want that crystal-waving moron!”

Everybody converges on me, trying to calm me down. “You can do this, Summer,” they all say. “It’s natural to panic, but you love Skybird.”

I’ve been avoiding thinking about my body all evening, but the pains in my abdomen have gotten worse. My mother has spotted it from across the room. I’m in labor. My baby is coming seven weeks early. The idea of a stoned hippie who needs a good scrub delivering my child was crazy enough if the child had been full-term, but now it would be a disaster.

I look at Virginia. The money is slipping away from her right now, money that is rightfully hers, but her eyes show sympathy for me. How is it that she has her head screwed on right and I don’t? She’s known all along that a healthy baby is the most important thing; I’ve only realized now. Maybe I wouldn’t have ever realized if she hadn’t come here with her selfless plea for help.

But it’s not too late to fix things. I couldn’t care less about all the money in the world. I’m going to save my baby.

“I’m not having a home birth,” I say. “It’s too early for that. We have to go to the hospital!”

“You’re fine, darling,” Annabeth says. “Thirty-eight weeks isn’t too early. Baby will be fine. Anyway, we can ask Skybird.”

“No!” I cry. “I haven’t told the truth! I’m only thirty-three weeks pregnant!”

That stops the room dead. Everybody gapes at me.

Adam wraps me in his strong, calm arms. “You’re thirty-eight weeks, Summer,” he says. “Don’t back out now. You’ve dreamed of having a home birth. And you’re having”—he lowers his voice—“You’re having the Carmichael heir.”

“Adam, I lost the baby,” I say. I try to keep my voice low, but Virginia and Annabeth are standing right beside us. “I lost our first baby in the middle of the ocean. It was a nightmare. I kept trying to tell you, but I couldn’t. And then I got pregnant again, and I thought you didn’t need to go through that grief. I thought a few weeks wouldn’t matter, but it does. I’m seven weeks off my due date. We’ve got to get to the hospital now!”