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“We’ll start by locating him. Once that’s done, we move forward with support claims.”
I felt my shoulders relax just a little.
For the first time, this didn’t feel impossible.
“What do you need from us?” I asked.
“Anything you have,” Michael said. “Old numbers, workplaces, mutual contacts. We build from there.”
Lena glanced at me.
“We can do that.”
“You both have a strong case.”
***
The next few weeks moved quickly.
Lena and I stayed in touch daily. We compared everything we knew about Mark.
Places he used to go.
Friends, he mentioned.
Jobs he had.
Little details that didn’t seem important before now mattered.
Michael handled the legal side, guiding us through each step without making it overwhelming.
And slowly, things started to come together.
But more than that, something else started building.
We compared everything we knew about Mark.
Lena showed up for me every time.
Sometimes with coffee, or just to sit and talk while the babies slept.
Noah and her daughter, Maya, started spending time in the same room in their cribs.
Two lives connected in a way neither of us had chosen.
And somehow… that made things simpler.
We weren’t stuck in what had happened anymore; we were building something new.
Lena showed up for me every time.
***
One afternoon after a few court appearances, Michael called.
I was sitting on the bed, holding Noah, when my phone rang.
“Hey, Lena is here,” I said.
“It’s done,” he replied.
I sat up straighter.
“What do you mean?”
“We’ve located him,” the lawyer said. “And the process is moving forward. You’ll both be receiving support.”
I closed my eyes for a second.
It wasn’t relief exactly, but it was close.
“Thank you.”
“What do you mean?”
When the call ended, I looked up.
Lena was sitting across from me, holding Maya.
She must’ve known.
“Is it done?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
She let out a breath, and then she smiled.
“We actually did it!”
I smiled back.
“Yeah. We did.”
She must’ve known.
***
A month later, Lena and I signed a lease together.
It wasn’t a big place.
Two bedrooms. Small kitchen. Thin walls.
But it was enough.
That first night, we sat on the floor surrounded by boxes, eating takeout.
Both babies were finally asleep.
Lena leaned back against the couch.
“Did you ever think this is how things would turn out?” she asked.
I shook my head.
“Not even close!”
It wasn’t a big place.
She smiled a little. “Me neither.”
I looked around the room, the cribs, and the life we were starting to build together as two women.
Then I looked at her.
“We’re going to be okay,” I said.
She nodded.
“Yeah,” she said. “We are.”
Then I looked at her.
From the other room, Noah made a small sound.
A second later, Maya followed.
Two different cries.
Two different lives.
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