The baby’s identity was reconciled through the records and verification procedures the responsible teams required.

Her discharge and return to my care were arranged with attention to her condition and our immediate safety.

That recovery was the outcome I had hardly dared ask for when Ethan first spoke.

The wider proceedings remained open.

When I was able to bring her home, the nursery was still there.

Eleanor had not cleared it.

The crib stood against the wall.

The pale yellow paint showed the small uneven mark Ethan had left near the window.