Page 130 of Deception

“Dani and Madison are downstairs in the ICU waiting room.”

“Why?”

Clayton slipped his hand in his pocket and jingled his change. “I’m not quite sure how to tell you this...”

“How about straight up?”

He wasn’t sure he should just blurt out what shape her mother was in. “When I left them, your mother, Judith Winslow, was having a heart cath.”

“My mother? She doesn’t have a heart.”

He could see how she might feel that way. “I’m afraid she had a major heart attack about an hour ago.”

Terri pressed her hand against her chest and dropped her gaze to the bed. “Is...” She sucked in a breath. “Is she going to be all right?”

“I don’t know. Madison and Dani went to find out, and I haven’t heard from them.”

Her head shot up and she stared at him, searching his face. “Do they know that I’m...”

Clayton nodded. “Just found out.” He could almost see the wheels turning in her mind. “They didn’t know if you were aware of who they are. They wanted me to talk to you first.”

Air whooshed from her lungs as tension left her shoulders. She blinked back tears that suddenly appeared in her eyes.

“After what happened with Judith, they were afraid to spring something like that on you.”

A frown creased her brow. “What do you mean?”

He explained what happened at the pregnancy center. “Madisonblames herself—she thinks if she hadn’t accused Judith of killing Judge Anderson, she wouldn’t have had a heart attack.”

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave...” Terri said softly. “My mother’s life has been one lie after another.”

“She’s done a lot of good.”

“But how many girls has she destroyed by taking their babies? And separating Madison and Dani ...” Terri swallowed hard. “If she lives, will she be prosecuted?”

Clayton looked away.

“You’re not telling me something.”

“I’m afraid Judith confessed to killing Judge Anderson. So, yes, if she survives, she will go to jail.” He cocked his head. “But that’s down the road. Right now, Dani and Madison want to see you—if you’re up to it and want to see them.”

Terri wiped away tears with the back of her hand. Then she smiled. “More than anything in the world.”

70

Madison stared at the text from Clayton and then lifted her gaze to Dani’s. “She wants to see us.”

“Really?”

Madison nodded. “Are you ready?”

“Yes, I’ve been ready, but how about you? This is all new to you.”

It might be new, but all her life she’d wondered about the woman who’d birthed her. For years she’d been angry about how she could have just given her away. And now, not just her but Dani as well. But after learning how old Terri had been when they were born and how Judith manipulated the situation, her anger had dissipated—toward Terri anyway. Not so much toward Judith.

She looked up and smiled at her sister. “New or not, I want to get to know her, especially after she saved our lives last night.”

They paused outside the door. Dani’s eyes were closed. Praying, probably. She had a better relationship with God than Madison. With a quick breath, she tapped on the door, and seconds later it swung open.

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