I called for a cab and took it two and half miles and got out. Then I took a bus. If anyone was keeping tabs on me today they'd have a hard time keeping up. From the bus I went in the front of the mall and out the back. Then I hopped on another bus and got off two blocks from the aquarium. I would not put the baby in jeopardy.

When I finally got to the there I was still a little early and had no idea where I was meeting her. It was bigger than I imagined.  Clusters of moms and kids shuffled from one window to the next squealing and clapping. I tried not imagining myself being each mother but it was almost impossible. Each baby I saw started my heart pounding a little more.

I felt a small bit of panic with each cry and each frazzled look in the face of the parents.  How would I measure up taking care of it. Would I be able to handle the stroller, car seat, diapers, feeding, crying and making sure she ended up a loved and non traumatized kid?  And what if something went wrong with her medically?  Did the fact that she was a clone make her easier to get diseases, harder to treat illness, would Doctors be able to tell?

I sat in the dome where the 3D screen showed blue whales swimming and talked about their communication patterns and abilities. It was easy to feel small in there. A tiny part of the bigger universe still filled with mysteries we know so little about.

Someone sat next to me and I turned my head to shoot them a dirty look for practically sitting on my lap. It was Vanessa.

"Hello Cass. God you look amazing. I'm so sorry about your parents."

I felt her grab my hand and I squeezed hers. I felt memories flood of her and my dad poking fun at each other. Of her coming to my birthday parties and laughing with my mom about anything that came with directions knowing my dad would read them each several times and follow them to the letter making everything take double the time.

"Hey Vanessa, Thank you.  And thank you for meeting me. I know how scary it is."

I reached around to hug her and froze in place. She was pregnant. Like very pregnant. She still had long dark hair and huge brown eyes, but she seemed much older than I remembered.

"You're having a baby?  Oh my God!  I had no idea."

She smiled and laughed a strange hollow sounding ring that reminded me of sadness.

We walked to the food court and sat in a corner table away from the noise and the excited kids crying over wanting freeze dried ice cream instead of food.

I barely let her squeeze herself into the seat before I started talking. "Tell me about her Vanessa."

She grabbed her purse and flipped it open pulling out a Polaroid of my dad holding the a baby. Tears flowed from my eyes as I studied his face. He looked happy. He wasn't smiling--he was intently staring at the baby with the overwhelming look parents get when they look at their babies.  His arms were wrapped around her holding her close and she was staring into his face as if it was all the wonder in the world.

And she was smirking. A funny little grin on her face as if she had already figured out that he would be wrapped around her perfect little finger forever. After memorizing every bit of the picture I handed it back to her hoping she'd tell me to keep it. When she tucked it back in her purse all I could think about was holding that baby in my arms and protecting her from the world.

"Cassie. You're a young girl. You have your whole life ahead of you. You have an opportunity for love and adventure and doing all the things you've only dreamed about. I don't want you to think she won't be taken care of if you aren't ready to be a parent. I can't put that burden on you. None of this was your choice."

My bottom jaw dropped and I stared at her with a swirl of emotion flying across my brain.

"Vanessa. My dad put his life at risk, his job, everything he had. She is the last surviving part of my parents. She's all I think about and I don't consider her a burden. She's the only reason I survived against all odds, I believe that. And I will raise her happy and healthy and whatever this weird situation makes us, sisters or twins twenty years apart, she will be loved."

Vanessa's face lit up. It was obvious she was hoping that I would flare into mother bear mode. She nodded and lay her hands down on the table.

"Okay. Let's talk shop!  You're dad didn't screw up Cassie. There's no crazy bugs or off switches or superpowers. Maddie is a perfect baby, completely normal that sneezes when she's happy. But she will always be at risk if anyone knows. Always. She has a birth certificate. Don't ask. But there's always risks. Anyone from the lab or anywhere else in the science field will always be tempted if they find out. She's a goldmine of information and they won't stop searching."

Hearing it again just made me angry. She would always be at risk. Just like I had always lived my life--always watching for time bombs like viruses, diseases, and over exertion, she would always be looking for someone to find out her secret.

"I know the risks and I'm ready to take them. When can I get her?"

Vanessa handed me a piece of paper. "This is the address of a pet store in the city. We can meet there whenever you're ready. I've got two more months before this baby is born. Anytime before that happens.  There's an envelope of cash and some information in your dad's safety deposit box at the bank. It should be enough to get you somewhere safe and keep you going for a while."

She reached in her bag and handed me a small gold key and a banks business card.

"Go there as soon as you can. You're dad set it up for me, thinking I'd be the one to run with Maddie. But he would be so proud of you Cassie."

I shoved the paper, the card, and the key, in my boot and my finger hit the Baggie.

"Vanessa. What about the rest of what GenTech is looking for, the code. If they got that, would they stop looking for the baby?  Would she be safe?"

Vanessa put a hand on her stomach and rubbed it.

"They'll never stop. She won't be safe as long as someone believes she's out there. You have to understand that Cassie.  That sequence is the directions, it's valuable, but would have to replicated to the exact specifications and your dad was a genius. I'm sure it has some codes that only he knew how to twist around. He was the smartest man I've ever known. If you find it don't tell anyone. Not even me. And burn it. Your dad thought it might be an insurance policy someday. Like you, he believed deep down people were good."

As she talked about my dad her face was strained and she rubbed her stomach lovingly. It hit me like a ton of bricks that Vanessa was in love with my father. There were so many things I wanted to say and find out. But I knew now wasn't the time.

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I'm sorry for the late update! 😰. Life has a way of sometimes steam rolling over plans. So Cassie seems ready to jump in head first. That's great.....maybe. Lol