Sibby peeled off the gloves and left them to hang on the side of the sink to dry. “Listen to me,” she began. “Give her a little time. She has the wee one to consider. You have no idea how much stress the poor woman is under. It makes what you wentthrough look like a walk in the park. Believe me, I know. A child that age doesn’t sleep through the night, and sleep deprivation makes you do crazy things. Help her out by letting her rest. A full eight hours of sleep will go a long way toward her recovery. I bet she’ll remember more once she feels fully awake.”

“I’ll do that, Sibby. Thanks for the assist today.”

“Of course. I’m always here for you, brother.” She picked up her purse and slipped out the front door.

If Kyle was certain of anything, it was that his family would always have his back. They were a tight-knit bunch, and even when they overwhelmed him with their concern, he always had the knowledge that they’d do anything for him. He’d do the same for all of them.

He quickly put away the groceries, grabbed two large empty garbage bags from the box underneath the sink, and then made his way into the living room to check on his guests. The baby was still in the carrier, fast asleep, and her mother was dozing on his couch. Taking Sibby’s advice, he was careful not to disturb either of them; he silently walked into his bedroom and began to clean up the mess he’d left behind.

An hour later, the garbage bags filled with the remnants of his life for the past month now tied and his remaining dirty laundry sorted, Kyle quietly peeked out into the living room. His guests were awake; the baby was happily feeding. He immediately felt like an intruder in his own home. He hadn’t seen all that much, but he did get a glimpse at the rounded top of the stranger’s breast. Her skin looked creamy and smooth, and he had to force himself to look away. It was such an idyllic and peaceful scene, so unlike his normal life; it stole his breath from him.

He backed up into his bedroom, stepping into the shadows so that he wouldn’t disturb them, waiting for a signal that it wassafe to return to the living room. When he heard a distinctive burp from the baby, he took it as a sign that the coast was clear.

He loudly cleared his throat and shuffled the garbage bags to make her aware of his presence before he walked into the living room.

“Hello, ladies,” he said, happy to see that her chest was covered once more. “I’m glad to see that you’re both awake. Are you hungry?” he asked.

“This one just ate,” she said, continuing to prop the baby on her lap, rubbing the child’s back, “but I am famished.”

“I can make an omelet,” he offered, “with toast and tea.”

“That would be lovely,” she said. “Can I help you with that?”

“No, I’ve got it. You just rest here with the baby. It won’t take me long.”

“Would you mind holding her first for a minute? I really must use the bathroom.”

“Of course. Let me have her,” he offered.

The woman passed the baby to Kyle, and he gently lifted her up to his chest, where she gave him another loud burp.

As she stood, she said, “I guess you were right when you said you were good with babies. You made that look easy. Now, if you could just show me the way…”

“Oh, of course. There’s one over there.”

He pointed toward the half-bath, and she went off in that direction. Kyle walked with the child still resting on his chest and made his way to the kitchen. He nimbly opened the refrigerator, carefully balancing the baby as he pulled out the eggs, butter, and the milk container, placing them on his now clean counter. Then he reached up over the gleaming surface and pulled down a frying pan from one of the hooks on the rack above it. He knew better than to try and make the eggs while he was holding the baby, so he sat down on one of the stools and took a good look at the child in his arms.

She was perfect. Round cheeks, wide blue eyes with specks of gold around her irises and fine, light brown hair with red highlights, the beginnings of a curl right at the base of her neck. Her small hands were clasped together, giving her the look of one more serious than her age would indicate; her wrists had little ringlets of fat that looked like the sweetest sort of bracelet. Suddenly, a small stream of milk escaped her mouth, and he reached across the counter for the clean towel Sibby had left there to wipe it away. She laughed, and his heart melted. It had been a very long time since he’d felt anything other than despair; this little girl was the opposite of that.

The woman returned from the bathroom at that very moment. “Oh,” she said. “Sorry. She has a bit of reflux. Sometimes it makes her crabby, but you must have the magic touch. Here,” she motioned to him. “I can take her.”

Kyle reluctantly handed the baby to her mother. “Interesting that you can recall that detail.”

“Mother’s instinct?” she remarked sheepishly.

Maybe,he thought. Then he said, “You know, we’ve got to figure out both of your names. I don’t know what to call you.”

“True… I wish I could remember more. Maybe it will start to come back to me soon?”

“We can hope so. In the meantime, I can make a call and get whatever things you had in the trunk of that car brought over here.”

“How do you know where they took it?”

“I’m a detective with the Boston police department.”Or at least I will be again soon,he thought.

“Oh, right. You mentioned that at the hospital. I’m still so foggy,” she said with a shrug. “It would be helpful to have my luggage. Maybe seeing my things will unlock this mystery.”

“I hope so. Let me do that now. Then I’ll make us something to eat. Excuse me for a minute.” He walked into his office,grabbed his cell phone from his back pocket and opened his contacts, hitting his partner’s name and listening to the call connect. He smiled as soon as the sound of Devon’s voice filled his ear.