KALI

My mother let's go of me and I run. My whole life she's lied to me and made me believe Matthew was my father, He wasn't. Derek was. Derek Shepard. The name sounds so perfect as it rolls of my tongue when I ask the nurse where I can find him.

"Surgical floor is floor five. The elevators that way." She points clearly annoyed. I hurry to elevator. If I couldn't find him then I had to find his wife. My stepmom. Even though my mother had said Addison was the reason my father gave me up, I couldn't go off that. After all my whole life I had been lied too by my 'mother.' The elevator doors open.

"Excuse me?" I ask a short African American woman. She turns. "I'm sorry to bother you but I'm looking for Dr. Shepard."

"Which one honey?" The lady asks.

"Either." I say. The lady looks confused.

"Derek is in surgery but Addison's office is at the end of that hall." She says. I smile and thank her. I was suddenly scared to death. I was about to find out all the answers.

ADDISON

Kali was only a year old when Derek and I got married. We had met not long after Gigi had told him she was having his baby. Although at first I was skeptical, the minute I saw Kali I was in love. Gigi would drop Kali off for days, weeks, and as of now months. She didn't love Kali the way I did. Kali didn't even remember her. She'd been gone for six months without a trace. When we'd gone on our honeymoon Derek's sister had watched Kali. It didn't matter to me, I was Kali's mommy. Kali didn't remember Gigi. At this point, I just needed the adoption papers. I wanted to be her mother legally.

It was late on a Friday; I had just put Kali to sleep. Derek was on the phone yelling.

"She doesn't know you!" He shouts. "You can't just come into her life and take her!" My heart stops. No.

"Derek." I manage to squeak. He opens his arms to me. I listen in on the conversation.

"I'll be there at noon, you can't keep her from me. I'll have her back by five." Gigi says. She hangs up. My heart is breaking.

"We can't let her take Kali!" I exclaim. Derek looks at me sadly. She has as much legal rights as we do. I begin to sob.

I pack Kali a bag. She had no idea what was happening. She was just an innocent child. Little did she know her life was about to change forever.

"Mama pay?" She asks taking my hand. I smile and follow her to play. I tell myself it will be okay, That Gigi will have her home and she'll agree to give up rights to my baby. I watch the clock like it's a bomb about to go off. Gigi was married. Derek had been a one night affair. I was always so afraid of what her life was like with them. Kali was just a little girl. She had three teenage sisters that lived with her 'mother.'

"Kali!" Gigi calls as she enters the house. Kali grips me tightly. Gigi attempts to take her. Kali cries. This was going to be harder than I had thought.

"Mama!" She screams. I hug her tightly.

"Shh baby it's going to be alright. You're going to go with your other mama for a little while. But you'll be home soon and we'll have an extra bedtime story tonight Kai okay?" I bribe, it felt so wrong. Derek enters. He keeps a straight face as he helps me remove Kali's arms from my neck. Kali cries the whole time Gigi takes her to the car. She cries as they pull away. When they're out of sight I too begin to let the tears fall.

Five turns into five thirty. Five thirty turns into six. Six turns to seven. Before we know it it's been a year. Then two. Then ten. Our marriage had fallen apart for a while. It was a long road getting it back. We had lost our baby. Derek had lost hope. And for a while I'd lost Derek.