Vanessa returns home early from a business trip and finds a baby in her house.
When Vanessa came back sooner than expected, she imagined how pleasantly she would surprise her husband. But what she discovered in their bedroom shattered her assumptions: next to him lay a babyand nothing had prepared her for the truth that was about to unfold.
After three long weeks in Paris, Vanessa finally returned to the gentle sun of Nice. Her trip had been stressful and exhausting, and all she wanted now was to hug Eric, her husband, and sleep in her own bed.
She arrived late, well past midnight, as her train had been delayed. But her impatience was too strong to wait. Without making a sound, she entered through the front door, hung up her trench coat, set down her bag, and carefully avoided turning on the lights.
Vanessa hadnt told Eric about her early returnshe wanted to give him a real surprise. Quietly, she approached their bedroom, a soft smile on her lips. She had missed him so much. Her plan: slip unnoticed into bed and watch his reaction when he woke.
But nothing could have prepared her for what she saw.
A beam of moonlight slipped through the window, just enough to reveal Eric fast asleep on one side of the bed and, on the other, a baby.
A tiny infant, wrapped in a soft blue blanket, lay beside the pillow, carefully positioned so it wouldnt roll over.
Vanessa froze, her breath catching. Theyd never had children. Eric had no familyhed grown up in foster care. So whose baby was this?
She quietly circled the bed and shook Erics shoulder.
“Eric. Eric! Wake up!”
He blinked, confused.
“Ha? Vanessa? What are you doing here?”
“Come to the kitchen with me. Now.”
Still half-asleep, he followed her. Vanessa turned on the light and stared at him coldly.
“Care to explain why there’s a baby in our bed?”
Eric yawned, exhausted.
“Someone left it at our door a few days ago. I didnt know what to do So I just took it in.”
“What? And you didnt call the police?”
“I was going to. But it kept cryinghungry, needed diapers I didnt have time. Figured Id take care of it. Look, Im exhausted, and you must be too. Lets sleep. Well talk tomorrow.”
Vanessa gaped at him.
“Are you joking?”
“Please” he murmured, turning back toward the bedroom. “Well talk in the morning.”
Drowning in unanswered questions, Vanessa followed and slipped into bed, her mind reeling. Yet she fell asleep faster than she expected, drained from the trip, the shock, and a storm of suspicions.
7:03 a.m.
Muffled voices.
Vanessa woke to the sound of a woman speaking.
“Eric, you have to tell her the truth. You cant keep lying.”
“I will, I promise,” he replied. “Im just waiting for the DNA test results.”
Vanessas heart pounded. A DNA test? Tell her what? And who was this woman?
Carefully, she crept toward the living room
Her idea had been simple: surprise Eric by coming home a day early. Shed entered quietly, removed her shoes, set down her bag, and tiptoed to their bedroom. But instead of finding her husband asleep, she stumbled upon a scene that stopped her cold.
A baby, peacefully nestled against Eric, was wrapped in a sky-blue blanket.
Stunned, Vanessa froze momentarily.
When the shock faded, questions flooded her. Without wasting a moment, she shook Eric firmly. He blinked up at her, startled then even more so by the intensity in her eyes.
“Why is there a baby in our bed?” she demanded, disbelieving.
Confused, Eric explained: days ago, someone had left the infant on their doorstep without a note. Unsure what else to do, hed decided to care for it temporarily.
But Vanessa remained suspicious. Why hadnt he reported it? Why keep it from her? And most importantly whose child was this?
That morning, Vanessa woke to a womans voice. Intrigued, she rose and overheard a conversation between Eric and a stranger. When she heard “DNA test,” her heart raced. She burst into the living room, certain the truth awaited but what she learned surpassed all expectations.
The woman, Maria, claimed to be Erics sister.
Theyd grown up apart, unaware of their connection. A chance meeting in a supermarket sparked memories and an uncanny resemblance.
Waiting for test results, Mariafacing an emergencyhad asked Eric to watch her son, Leo, overnight.
From shock to understanding.
Vanessa studied Maria closely, noticing a striking resemblance. Gradually, her doubts faded, replaced by raw emotion. Eric hadnt done anything wronghed cared for a child who might be his nephew, bearing the weight of a life-changing discovery.
Days later, the test confirmed what theyd feared: Eric and Maria were indeed siblings.
Vanessa felt deep relief. She watched her husband thrive in his new role as an unclea man whod never known close family. Leo, that tiny baby, became a fragile yet precious link in a long-lost family history.
Vanessa had left for an ordinary trip and returned to a blended family and a future filled with hope.
