I looked at Ava. “I suppose I do.”

She explained it would only be temporary. A few days, maybe. I believed her.

Chapter 4 — It Takes a Village

The days settled into an unexpected routine. Ava woke every three hours. She disliked cold bottles, loved being rocked beside the front window, and spent long stretches staring at the birds gathering in the old maple tree outside as though they were performing just for her.

On the third day, my neighbor Helen arrived with a bag of diapers, wipes, and baby clothes. “I heard what happened,” she said, brushing aside my thanks.

“It takes a village.” She was right. Before the week ended, someone left formula on my porch. Another neighbor dropped off a baby swing. Faces I’d only ever greeted with a wave from across the road were suddenly woven into Ava’s days.

Each evening I called Dana. Each evening her reply never changed. “Still no sign of Sabrina.”