“Good Lord!”

“Two days ago,” Mrs. Jergens added.

“My gosh, how did you manage?”

“It wasn’t exactly easy,” she said. “And now I’m in so much pain from lifting and carrying the baby yesterday I can hardly move today.”

“Why didn’t you call me?” she asked.

“I was fine. I thought she’d come back. Just take him. Take him,” she said with a wave of her hand. “He won’t stop crying, anyway.”

Sierra was stunned for a second. Then her heart began to pound. Then she felt genuine terror. “And so in a couple of weeks you’ll change your mind again? And come without warning to snatch him away again?”

“I doubt it,” she said drily.

“Or you’ll find another cousin...”

“Definitely not that,” she said.

Sierra thought about it for a second. She wondered if she just snatched Sam with the clothes on his back, if she could get away and never be found. And have a baby without Connie?

She prayed. God, I have never in my life needed You this much. God, I am powerless. This is in Your hands.

She pulled out her cell phone and dialed her brother Cal. He didn’t pick up. She texted him 911 and he called her back directly.

“Sierra?” he asked, worry in his voice.

“Cal, I came to Fairplay to visit Sam and found Mrs. Jergens in a terrible fix. Her caregiver and helper has run out on her, her house is upside down, she’s in too much pain to pick up the baby and she told me to just take him.”

“Do not,” Cal said emphatically. “Can you call the social worker?”

“I didn’t think to take her number.” She lowered her phone. “Mrs. Jergens, do you have Jeanne Blasette’s phone number?” Mrs. Jergens poked around in her purse and produced the card. “I have the number,” Sierra said.

“Give it to me,” Cal said. “I’ll call. Don’t take the baby home. Wait there for me. I just don’t want anyone to ever imply that you took him.”

“Can you hurry?” she asked with tears in her voice. “I don’t know if he’s okay. He’s just lying on my shoulder...”

“Do you need an ambulance?” Cal asked in a breathless voice. She could tell he was on the move. She heard his car door slam and the engine of his car start.

“Let me find out from Mrs. Jergens what he’s eaten. I’ll call an ambulance if I need one.”

Cal got the address from Sierra, said he was on his way and disconnected.

“The only person needs an ambulance is me,” Mrs. Jergens said.

“When did Sam eat last?”

“He had a bottle a couple hours ago,” she said.

“How long ago since he was changed?” Sierra asked.

“He hasn’t been starved or neglected but after yesterday I was in too much pain to pick him up, so I changed him in the crib, gave him a bottle in the crib and that’s the best I could do today. That damn Sandy! I should’ve known! Those people were always irresponsible!”

“So he hasn’t been held? Since yesterday?”

“But he was taken care of!” she said. “Just go and leave me alone.”

Sierra stepped outside the house and took a deep breath of fresh air. Sam wrapped himself around her like a little monkey. She walked up and down the sidewalk between her car and the front door and just hummed to him. And cried.

She called Connie. “Oh, Connie, I’m in Fairplay at the Jergens house. I have Sam. She told me to just take him!” Then she explained what she had found and that Cal was on his way. “I’ll call you when I’m on my way home and you can meet us.”

It was almost thirty minutes before Cal pulled up but right behind him was Jeanne Blasette. Cal went to Sierra immediately, pulling her and Sam into his arms. “I talked to her lawyer,” Cal said. “The adoption process hasn’t been stopped but he recommended she sign a short statement saying she turned the baby over to you. Jeanne and I will witness it.”

“Are you all right, Sierra?” Jeanne asked.

“Not really,” Sierra said. “Can I take him home?”

“Give me one second,” Jeanne said. She nearly ran up the walk to the front door and opened it. She didn’t even go inside but just talked to Mrs. Jergens. Then she was back. “I’d like you to take Sam to the doctor. I’m sure he’s fine, but just to take precautions, have him looked over. Your brother and I will finish this business together. It will be all right.”

“But she still has every right to call it all off,” Sierra said.

“We’re just going to take this one day at a time,” Jeanne said. “I think I can honestly say that everyone involved wants Sam to be in your safe and loving home.” Then she leaned close and said, “Mrs. Jergens can’t do it. She wants to and can’t. Treat her with mercy. But take Sam and go now.”

Cal nodded in agreement.

* * *

Connie was waiting for her when she arrived at the urgent care office with Sam. Dr. Culver, all calm and beautiful, took them all right back to an exam room, but Sierra was not letting go of the baby, her son.

“Tell me what happened,” Dr. Culver asked, while slowly and gently pulling Sam to her. He whimpered at being parted from Sierra, but she stayed close while she described what she had found. While Sierra talked, Dr. Culver took off Sam’s shirt, listened to his heart, his chest, looked in his mouth and his ears.

“He’s all right, Sierra,” she said. “He’s a little upset. Let me get you a dry diaper.” She opened the exam room door and spoke to someone and a disposable diaper appeared. “Is that two wet diapers in the last hour?” she asked.

“He was soaked when I got there.”

“He’s certainly not dehydrated,” she said with a small laugh. “Keep putting this cream on him until the rash is gone.” Dr. Culver flipped that wet diaper off and the clean one on like an old pro. “You’re going to be fine, aren’t you, Sam. You want your mommy.”

Sierra reached for him, but the second he was secure in her arms, he reached for Connie.

“He’s kind of stinky,” Sierra said.

“He needs a bath,” Connie said.

“And clean clothes.”

“Did you bring anything out of there?” Connie asked.

“It was so messy and dirty I didn’t want anything.”

“Good,” Connie said. “We start fresh.”

“He’s got a sad look in his eyes,” Sierra said. “I think he was left to cry.”

“Take him home,” Dr. Culver said. “Clean him up and hold him. When he smells your house and his sheets and is back in familiar territory, he’ll be his old self.”

Sierra told Connie she wanted a quiet day, just the three of them. Texts kept coming in, asking if everyone was all right. They tried to hold off on visitors but it was impossible. First it was Maggie and Elizabeth, then Cal came over to check on them, then Rafe and Lisa, then Sully. In no time at all Sam was laughing and playing and being licked by Molly over and over, like she was checking to make sure he was all right.

The only one not present was Dakota, who Cal reported had left town suddenly. On a mission.

* * *

Dakota was able to get on the campus, no problem. He even located a campus map; it just wouldn’t tell him where Sid was. He texted her. What building are you working in?

Why?

I’m here, but I don’t know where you are.

You’re here?

I’m stalking you. Can you give me ten minutes?

She gave him the building number and name of the building and told him he should just park in front—she’d come down to meet him. Once he got there, he could see why. There was limited parking and entry required an ID badge. Upon closer inspection of the large glass-and-steel front doors, there was a keypad and key slide for entry there, as well.

The students around this group of buildings looked a little different. They were older, for one thing. Instead of shorts and flip-flops, they were wearing slacks and shirts. He pushed his sleeves up and leaned back against his rented car.

“You can’t park here, sir,” a security officer on a bike told him.

“I’m not parking,” he said. “I’m waiting for my girlfriend.”

“Then you can’t wait here,” he said.

Just then, Sid came out. She was dressed like one of the older students—pressed tan pants, white shirt, leather flats, hair in a bun. Her ID badge hung on a lanyard around her neck. In fact, there were several ID badges. He stood from his leaning position.

“Cody?” she asked, totally perplexed. And to the security guard, she said, “It’s okay, Gary. He’s with me.”

“Okay, Dr. Shandon,” the young man said, riding off on his bike.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

He opened his arms. “Is that any way to greet an old lover?”

She stepped into his arms. “You’re not that old.”

He burrowed his lips into her neck. “I had to see you. Had to. Kiss me.”

“In front of all these people?” she asked, looking around. There were only a few people, all walking with a purpose to their next destination or to the parking lot.

“You can give me a more meaningful kiss later, but for now...” He kissed her lips and tried to keep it brief and discreet. “Sid, I’m proud of you,” he said. “I love you and I’m proud of you.”

“What’s this all about, Cody?”

“You didn’t really explain what you were doing here,” he said. “Your brother did. This isn’t just some computer programming, as you led me to believe. This is mind-blowing, futuristic, world-changing, quantum computing. And here you’re Dr. Shandon.”

She smiled at him, her eyes twinkling. “Do you know what quantum computing is?”