Chapter 2 - THE MAN IN THE HALL
Leah Torres, the hospital social worker, arrived before Travis Bennett reached the pediatric floor.
She found Mia sitting outside Caleb’s room in an oversized hospital blanket, feet tucked beneath her.
“Can I sit with you?” Leah asked.
Mia nodded.
Down the hall, an elevator chimed.
Mia went rigid.
A broad-shouldered man in a wet work jacket stepped out with a woman in hospital security beside him.
“There they are,” he said. “Thank God.”
He moved toward Mia.
She shrank behind Leah.
Travis stopped.
“What is this?”
Leah stood. “I’m Leah Torres. I’m working with the children until we understand what happened.”
“What happened is my sister abandoned them.”
Mia’s face changed.
“She didn’t.”
Travis looked at her sharply. “Mia, enough.”
It was only two words, but the child’s shoulders curled inward.
Leah noticed.
Travis exhaled and softened his tone.
“Erin’s been unstable since Ben died. I moved in to help. Yesterday she took off. Mia must’ve wandered out with the baby.”
“I carried him,” Mia said.
Travis ignored her.
“I’ll take them home.”
“No,” Leah said.
His expression hardened. “I’m family.”
“That doesn’t automatically make you the legal guardian.”
He pulled folded papers from his jacket.
“I have authorization.”
Leah read the first page.
Temporary caregiver consent. Erin Bennett’s signature at the bottom.
Mia peered around Leah.
“That’s not Mommy’s writing.”
Travis laughed once. “She’s six.”
Mia pointed at the signature.
“My mom makes the E like a backwards three.”
Leah looked again.
The E was perfectly ordinary.
Travis’s jaw tightened.
Then Dr. Reed stepped out of Caleb’s room.
“We need to talk about how long that baby went without fluids.”
Travis answered too quickly.
“Ask Mia.”
Mia began to shake.
Leah crouched beside her.
“Sweetheart, when was the last time an adult fed Caleb?”
Mia looked at Travis.
May you like
Then she whispered:
“Before Uncle Travis locked the pantry.”
