Her thoughts spiraled uncontrollably, looping back to that night after his trip. The name change, that meeting, the weird letters—was he hiding something? Had she missed the signs? Her faith in him wavered dangerously as fear painted every memory with a darker shade.
A nurse rechecked the baby’s ID band again, apologizing softly as she adjusted it. Sandra noticed her hands trembling. This wasn’t routine. They weren’t checking for clerical errors, but for potential threats. That realization stole the air from Sandra’s lungs, filling her with a cold, consuming dread.