“I’m not saying you’re not alive.”
“Then why do you speak about me as if I’m a piece of furniture that needs to be put away when it gets too old?”
The judge didn’t interrupt me.
“You said the child is biologically yours,” he noted.
My lawyer stood.
“Yes, Your Honor. Mrs. Mileva and Mr. Stoyanov used a legally performed medical procedure abroad, involving an egg that Mrs. Mileva had preserved many years ago for personal reasons. The pregnancy was carried by a surrogate under a contract arranged according to the laws of that country. There is complete medical and legal documentation.”
The courtroom erupted in noise.
Silvia covered her mouth.
Mikhail slammed his hand on the table.
“This is insane!”
The judge raised his voice.
“Order in the courtroom!”
Emilia moved.
I began rocking her gently.
She was so small.
And all around her, adults were shouting, arguing, and trying to decide whether she had a right to exist.
