When his wife gives birth to a baby with a black complexion, causing shock and accusations in the delivery room, Brent’s world falls apart. Brent has to make a decision that will test their love and trust for all time, as suspicion and betrayal threaten to rip their family apart.

Finally, Stephanie and I were going to become parents after five years of trying. As Stephanie felt another contraction, her palm tightened around mine, but her expression remained calm and concentrated.Our families lingered by the door, allowing us room while remaining close enough to let them in the moment the baby arrived.

With a comforting nod from the doctor, I squeezed Stephanie’s hand.

You’re doing great, babe,” I whispered.

She gave me a brief smile, and then the moment arrived. It’s time for all of our dreams and labors to come true.I experienced a tangle of pride, love, and relief when the first cry broke through the air. It was only after I let out a quivering sigh that I realized I was holding my breath.

Something in the room moved as the nurse placed our little, wriggling bundle into Stephanie’s arms. Stephanie had reached out, anxious to touch our baby.

With her eyes wide with disbelief and her face devoid of color, Stephanie gazed at the infant.

Gasping, she said, “That’s not my baby,” her words stopping in her throat. “That’s not my baby!”

I blinked, not sure what to think. “What are you trying to say? What are you talking about, Steph?”

Even as the nurse clarified that this was undoubtedly our kid because they hadn’t cut the umbilical chord yet, she shook her head. It appeared as though she tried to push it away.“Brent, look!” Her voice was getting higher, every syllable laced with panic. “She isn’t. She isn’t… I never did…”

My world swung as I glanced down at our child. Soft curls and dark skin. It seemed as if the earth had suddenly parted from beneath me.

“What the hell, Stephanie?” My voice sounded shrill and angry as it cut through the room, and I didn’t recognize it.

The nurse winced, and I caught sight of our families, transfixed in disbelief, out of the corner of my eye.

“It’s not mine!” With tears welling up in her eyes, Stephanie glanced at me and her voice broke. “That’s not possible. I didn’t share a bed with anyone else. Brent, you have to trust me; I’ve never—”

There was a dense, oppressive tension in the room as everyone left silently, leaving the three of us. I couldn’t take the treachery; I should have stayed.

“Brent, wait!” Stephanie’s voice rang out from behind me, broken and desperate, as I marched toward the door. “Please don’t leave me. I swear to you, I’ve never been with anyone else. You’re the only man I’ve ever loved.”Her voice stopped me with its unvarnished honesty. I looked over at her. This was the woman I had been in love with for a long time, the one who supported me through all of my hardships and heartaches. Is she actually telling the truth now?

“Steph,” I replied, trying to calm down despite the internal chaos. “This is not logical. How would you describe this, exactly?

“I don’t understand it either, but please, Brent, you have to believe me.”

For the first time, I truly gazed at the child in her arms when I turned to face her again. The hair and skin still took me by surprise. But then I realized—she was using my sight. And, like me, she had a dimple on her left cheek.