The Daughter Who Wasn't Mine
e April, t
esk in the sun-drenched office of t
organized, to g
ir joint tax returns
e flagged something about
emember needing the act
ork after their whirlwind T
as all filed,
en their safe. No origin
t with her art docu
dio, "in the zone," an
o request a
andoval County, something about her family lawyer hav
for the Sandoval C
woman a
ty Clerk, how
t a copy of a marriage c
he names and the approx
nton. We were married abou
typing.
a record for Ethan Mil
small knot in
. Or maybe Ava Miller by then? It
r Miller for the b
ng. A lon
ce was still po
or an Ethan Miller with an Ava Thornton or an
again? Please? It
ded strained e
bureaucratic m
thoroughly. There's no record of
o show an active marriage cert
eld his
an Vance. Dat
an V
oed in the q
friend" from years ago.
side seemed
ft," suddenly felt
e y
marr
li
out mailing a copy if he was a pa
anaged, his throa
he numbers on the
ns instantl
rove
illed with her large,
from her studio, th
one, her tone sha
absolutely needs to keep using my name for his residency applicat
hand on the doorkno
ature. Especially with the introduction of Maya. It paints the perfect
a
rl Ava had recently
re situation" in E
ly adopt Maya. To comple
ammed togethe
gal husband. May
omach
ess, stumbled, and his s
a nearby pedestal wobbled
d out of
ng, what on e
en ceramic, then back to him
he dismissed her assistant or lawye
on his arm, c
lt like anothe
t her, his
arse. "The marriage certifica
ing her face for
ord of us. But there is one.
r. A final, d
thouse tomorrow. Together. Get a new one
illisecond, then it was gone,
ing me over some bureaucratic error? My lawyer will so
ve hit your head. You're not thinki
going to the courth
hread of h
It was a lie. An ela
, sleep wa
"wedding" – pictur
vows, now h
g architectural career in Denver, m
astating words and Ava's cold, calculating v
a carefully constructed st