Stephanie and Carlos retired to the seventh-floor apartment for the night instead of going home. They took a shower together and made love several times. "Can you do the injection?" Stephanie asked. She got everything prepared for Carlos to administer the shot. Carlos accepted the syringe. He expertly injected the hormone to improve her egg maturation and production. "Thanks, Batman."
"Are you going to tell me what got your panties twisted earlier?" Carlos asked. Stephanie pulled her shorts over her hips, then covered her breasts with her husband's shirt. Carlos watched without moving to cover his nakedness.
"I need food for this conversation," Stephanie announced. She left Carlos standing in the bedroom naked. Why would she leave a naked man in her bedroom? Stephanie didn't have enough energy to get distracted by her husband's perfect body. She shook away the sexy thoughts and opened the refrigerator door. "Thank you, Ella," Stephanie said upon finding a container of chilli on the shelf.
She popped the container into the microwave and heated it according to Ella's instructions. Carlos entered the kitchen and smiled lovingly. He grabbed two bowls from the cupboard and two spoons from the drawer. They split the food and sat at the table to eat. Neither talked as they ate.
Stephanie dropped the spoon in her empty bowl. She refused to talk without a full stomach. "Do you remember that girl we saw in Miami?" Stephanie asked.
"At the gravesite?"
"Mmhmm. I asked your brother to follow her and see where she went," Stephanie replied. Carlos raised an eyebrow, silently asking why she asked Javier for assistance. "I think she's Lydia's missing daughter. My spidey sense said she was ready to run."
"What do you know?"
"She boarded a train to New York but never arrived at her destination," Stephanie replied. "We're trying to figure out where she got off the train. Hector's been searching the Trenton and Newark stations. The cameras are old. They only produce fuzzy images. By the way, you need to reimburse Javi for the train ticket. She was supposed to call Javi, but he never received a call."
"Have you asked Tito for help?" Carlos asked.
"Yes, but unless a parent declares her as a missing child, he can't use the precinct's resources to assist," Stephanie explained. "My spidey sense says she's in Trenton. I don't know where to look."
Carlos grabbed the dishes and rinsed them. He tucked them into the dishwasher to clean in the morning. "I'll be back," Carlos said. He grabbed the laptop from his bag and flipped it open.
Stephanie smiled when he opened google maps. He entered the address into the computer. "What are you thinking?" Stephanie asked.
"We have cameras on these streets," Carlos replied. He retrieved the footage for the day in question. When Carlos used the external camera on Valerie's house, something caught Stephanie's eye.
"Carlos, stop. Go back a few frames," Stephanie ordered. Carlos complied and found the one piquing Stephanie's curiosity. "Isn't that Mary Alice? Who is she talking to?"
"Babe, I know you were planning to sleep here, but we should go home," Carlos replied.
"Do you think Mary Alice brought home a stray?" Stephanie asked.
"Yes. The girl you've been worried about."
Stephanie retreated to the bedroom to change. She called Lester and Bobby, asking them to meet them at their house. "Bring your medic bag with the blood test kit," Stephanie said to Bobby.
"What am I doing?" Bobby asked.
"Running a DNA test," Stephanie replied. Bobby said they could use a cheek swab instead. He promised to have everything they needed. Stephanie called Hector and Tito next. She asked them to watch the back door of Valerie's house to ensure nobody escaped.
"Carlos, you and I are approaching from the front. The side door is off the kitchen, so Valerie would see anyone leaving through that exit," Stephanie said.
Lester and Bobby met them in the garage. Stephanie wanted Lester in her car to explain everything. He was nervous and excited to meet the girl. Lester desperately wanted the child to be Lydia's missing daughter. "I know you were close to Lydia. Did you give the baby a gift when she was born?" Stephanie asked.
"Yes. I went to Build-A-Bear and selected a multicoloured bear. Lydia didn't know, but I recorded a special message for the baby. Actually, I sang You Are My Sunshine in Spanish," Lester confessed. "I put two hearts inside the bear. They have Lydia's and my name written on them. You can't access them unless you cut the stitching. Steph, even if the child has the bear, it doesn't prove she's Sandra."
"Which is why I got Bobby to bring his kit," Stephanie replied. She rolled her eyes at Lester. Why else would Stephanie ask for the medical bag and supplies? "It will take a few days to get the results. I don't know where the child would live while determining maternity."
"I brought the baby tooth Lydia gave me. It was hers. Hopefully, Bobby can get a sample. Can't the child stay with Valerie?" Lester asked.
"Possibly. We'd have to ask them. However, we can't have the girl live with an unattached male. She needs a female in the house," Stephanie warned. She wondered if her cousin Nicki would help. Nicola Plum worked as a social worker and liaison to the school. She loved kids and often fostered children until they got adopted. Nicki was unmarried and lived in Hamilton Township.
"What's with that look?" Lester asked.
"I have a cousin who will take Sadie until the tests identify her as Sandra," Stephanie explained. She told Lester about Nicki. He was both interested and intrigued when Stephanie said Nicki had curly hair but stormy grey eyes. "You do not want to piss off Nicki."
~~~~~
"What's wrong?" Mary Alice quietly asked. Sadie was getting antsy. Something was about to change.
"What if they find me?" Sadie asked. "I don't want to go back to Miami."
"Sade, my Aunt Stephie will make sure you get to stay here," Mary Alice promised. Sadie grabbed the bear from her backpack and played the soothing song. Mary Alice's mouth popped open in shock. She recognized the voice.
"Do you know who's singing?" Sadie whispered. Mary Alice nodded, then grabbed her phone. She unlocked it to show Sadie the pictures. "Is that him? The man who recorded the song?" Sadie asked.
"Yes. That's my Tio Lester," Mary Alice replied. "He babysat when my mom was in LA last year. I had trouble sleeping, and he sang that song to me."
Sadie's hands shook as she opened her backpack. She removed the photo she pressed between the pages of a book. "I took this from the house my mom was cleaning. The man resembles your uncle," Sadie said. Mary Alice took the picture and stared. She saw the photograph in Lester's office. He said it was his best friend.
"You look like the woman," Mary Alice observed. "Are you her daughter?"
"I don't know," Sadie confessed. "I was adopted. But I don't think it was legal because they didn't have the official paperwork. My mom said it got lost." Sadie sat on Mary Alice's bed with the teddy bear on her lap. She needed the bear for comfort. Mary Alice sat beside Sadie and bumped her shoulder. "What if nobody wants me?"
"You said you were getting away from Miami. Where did you live before?" Mary Alice wanted to know more about Sadie, who only mentioned the situation she escaped. It wasn't an issue Mary Alice wanted to press. But it was time to hear the story.
Sadie wiped her eyes. "We lived in Dallas, Texas. It's where I got adopted. After my dad died, my mom wanted to move away. People in Dallas got really mean. They said horrible things about my dad. Mom and I had to get away. We moved to Miami. My mom went by her maiden name there to find a job. She started cleaning houses for the rich people. Our school year already finished, and my mom had to take me with her. I stole those pictures from the last house I helped clean," Sadie explained.
"What did your dad do?" Mary Alice asked, not understanding what happened.
"He was a financial advisor who stole a lot of money from people," Sadie replied. "Then, one day, my mom found him dead. We had enough money for a funeral and to move away. I didn't understand why we had to leave." Sadie shook her head. She found the adoption paperwork, but it didn't look the same as her adopted friend's documents. Her mom said they were photocopies. Sadie thought they were fake. Even a photocopy would have the official seal visible.
Mary Alice didn't know what to say. She only knew what her dad did to their family. It was similar to Sadie's dad's actions. Except Steve stole the money from the bank accounts while Sadie's dad convinced people to hand him the funds. "I think we should ask my Aunt Stephie for help," Mary Alice said. "My mom might get into trouble for having you here."
"May I borrow your phone?" Sadie asked. Mary Alice unlocked it for Sadie, wondering what Sadie wanted to do. Sadie opened the browser and entered 'Miami newspapers' into the search bar. She checked the articles for the keyword missing. Nothing. "My mom never reported me as missing. Your mom won't get into trouble," Sadie reasoned, returning the phone to Mary Alice.
The doorbell rang. "Quick! Hide under the bed or in my closet," Mary Alice ordered. Sadie shook her head.
"I'm done running," Sadie confessed. She shoved the bear and book into her backpack, then slung it over her shoulder. Sadie fixed her ponytail and straightened the clothes borrowed from Mary Alice. "Thank you for giving me shelter, food and clothes."
"Mary Alice, come downstairs and bring your friend," Valerie hollered up the stairs.
The girls left the bedroom. Mary Alice grabbed Sadie's hand for support. "Thanks," Sadie whispered. They walked side by side down the steps. Sadie gasped when she recognized the man and woman standing in the foyer.
"Hi," Stephanie said, "I'm Stephanie Manoso, and this is my husband, Carlos. We're here to help." Stephanie pointed to the backpack slung over Sadie's shoulder. "Are you going somewhere?"
"No, but I never leave it behind," Sadie confessed. Stephanie smiled at the young girl. She was a striking resemblance to Lester's friend, Lydia.
"Too many valuables inside?"
Sadie nodded, "My entire life." Stephanie got the girls to follow her to the living room to get more comfortable.
Sensing the girl wanted to share, Stephanie asked, "May I see what you brought?"
"Go on," Mary Alice said, "you can trust my aunt."
Sadie slowly tugged on the zipper pull, slowly opening the backpack to reveal its content. She reached inside to remove the items. Stephanie asked to look at the ziplock bags. "Is this you hairbrush?"
"No," Sadie replied. "It belongs to this woman." Sadie opened her book, revealing the photograph of Lester and Lydia. Mary Alice nudged Sadie's shoulder. Sadie looked at her friend, then nodded. Stephanie smiled at the ESP exchanged between the girls.
"Aunt Stephie, Sadie wants to know if that woman is her biological mother," Mary Alice said. "She brought those items for testing."
"Sadie, I have a friend who works as a medic. Would you allow him to test the items and compare it to your DNA?" Stephanie asked.
"Yes, please," Sadie whispered. Carlos called Lester and Bobby into the house. Lester stopped short when he saw Sadie. She was almost a carbon copy of Lydia.
Bobby placed the ziplock bags into his duffle. He removed a test swab from the DNA kit he had on hand. "Can you rub this along your cheek for a few seconds?" Bobby asked, passing her the swab. She followed his instructions, then gave it back. Bobby closed the plastic casing to preserve the sample. Sadie gave him a hair sample, then asked if he could collect some blood. Bobby raised an eyebrow. He did as Sadie asked.
"I figured it would save you a trip if my hair and saliva didn't give you enough to test," Sadie explained. "The internet said blood was more accurate for DNA matching. Is there a chance of getting a result in two days?"
"My friend owns a lab. I can ask her to run them first," Bobby replied. "It should only take a few days since you have samples for comparison." Bobby never mentioned the tooth he got from Lester. The molar had some blood at the bottom. He hoped it had enough cells to provide an accurate result.
"Where do I go now?" Sadie asked, watching Bobby tuck the blood sample in malleable cooler packs.
"My cousin, Nicola Plum, is a social worker. I could call her for an opinion," Stephanie offered.
"Sadie, you can stay here until we sort out maternity," Valerie suggested.
"I think we should play this by the book," Sadie said, sounding too grown up for her age. "Mary Alice was generous for bringing me here. I don't want to make waves or get the adults arrested for kidnapping."
"Can everyone leave? I want to call Nicki without having an audience," Stephanie asked. The others nodded and left the room. Mary Alice quickly hugged Sadie before following the others to the kitchen.
"Hey, Steph," Nicki answered after the first ring. "What's up?"
"I have a bit of a situation," Stephanie replied before launching into the story.
"Put me on speakerphone for Sadie to hear," Nicki demanded.
"Done," Stephanie replied.
"Sadie, why did you run away from home?" Nicki asked.
"It wasn't safe. My adoptive mom left me home alone a few times. We live in a dangerous neighbourhood. I'm trying to find my family," Sadie explained.
"Is your mom looking for you?"
"No. She never called the police to say I'm missing, either," Sadie confessed. She wiped a tear off her cheek. "Stephanie got her friend to run tests to see if I belong with Lester."
"Is Lester your dad?"
"No. I have a copy of Lydia Cottingham's will. She entrusted Lester Santos as my guardian if anything happened to her and my biological dad. My adoptive mother said my biological mother died during childbirth and my biological dad couldn't afford to raise me. I have Lydia's diary," Sadie explained, providing more details than Nicki wanted.
"We have to follow the law on this, Sadie. I'm sorry, but you need to be placed in a temporary foster home," Nicki said. Nicki's heart broke for the child.
"Okay," Sadie said, feeling resigned. She hoped to stay with Mary Alice for a few days.
"How old are you?"
"Ten," Sadie replied. "Can you find me a good home? Maybe Mary Alice's mom can be my foster mom."
"I can take you into my home," Nicki announced. "I'll file the paperwork with the city in the morning. In the meantime, stay where you are."
Sadie sighed in relief. "Thank you," she whispered.
"Stephanie, get Bobby to run those tests immediately. We need proof of identity for Lester to take custody of Sadie."
"Thank you, Nicki. I'll see you soon," Stephanie said. She ended the call and looked at Sadie. "My cousin resembles me. Her eyes are stormy grey. Nicki fosters children, especially girls, all the time. She wants to ensure they stay safe from the predators."
"She kind of sounds like you too," Sadie said, making Stephanie smile. Stephanie texted Carlos, letting him know it was safe to return.
"Mom said you can sleep in the guest bedroom," Mary Alice said. "Tio Bobby had to leave. He's taking the samples to his friend's lab."
Lester picked up the teddy bear off the coffee table. "Is this yours?" he asked. Sadie nodded. "Val, do you have a travel sewing kit?"
"Do I have a travel sewing kit? Of course I do," Valerie replied, rolling her eyes in annoyance. She disappeared in the den and grabbed the kit and a seam ripper. Valerie gave the items to Lester. He stared at the plastic tool, then raised an eyebrow. She pulled the end cap off the item, revealing the pointed tip. "It's to cut the stitches."
"What are you doing?" Sadie asked.
"Looking for the two hearts inside the bear," Lester replied. "It's in the stuffing." Lester carefully popped a few stitches to reach the hearts. He removed them to show Sadie.
"How did you know where to find them?"
"I made this bear for Lydia's daughter, Sandra. There's a recoding of me singing You Are My Sunshine in Spanish," Lester replied. "Where did you get this bear?"
"I've had it forever. My adoptive mom said it was a gift from my biological mom." Sadie hoped she was Lydia's daughter. The man with blond hair and green eyes seemed nice.