I became a surrogate for my brother — but when he saw his newborn daughter, he said, “I can’t take this baby,”

I remember thinking that was odd.

Once, I asked him if everything was okay at work. He said, “Yeah, just busy,” and changed the subject so fast I felt it.

I told myself that he was nervous. New dads get nervous.

At the last ultrasound before the birth, the technician was moving the wand slowly along the baby’s spine, humming under her breath. Then she stopped.

She held the wand still on the baby’s lower back for one beat too long.

I told myself that he was nervous.

Then she smiled, moved on, and said everything looked good.

I watched Melissa’s face. She hadn’t noticed a thing.

But when I looked at Ryan, he was staring at the screen as if he’d seen something none of us were supposed to see.

He didn’t say a word the whole ride home.

She hadn’t noticed a thing.