‘You did seem hesitant, though, when I asked about meeting with you today,’ Cord pointed out.

Rosalyn’s feet pushed the swing back into a gentle sway. ‘Ah, yes, that much is true.’ She lifted her chin and met Cord’s steady gaze. ‘That’s because I wasn’t sure if my mother would be here. Right now, she’s in an assisted living facility, and sometimes, in her more lucid moments she enjoys hanging out at the house with me and the kids.

‘My whole life, that woman was the definition of rock solid – until Hayden vanished. Then her mental and physical stability nosedived, especially after Brandon was born. Even as a baby, he looked so much like his father, our hearts felt like they were being crushed in a vise anytime we got to see him. One day after Elizabeth had brought him by for a few hours, I found Mom curled up in her closet, clutching a picture of Hayden. The grief pouring out of her – as long as I live, I’ll never forget that piercing animal howl. She just kept repeating, “I can’t do it. I can’t.” Later, she confessed she’d frightened herself because she’d gotten angry that Brandon wasn’t Hayden. She was terrified she’d lose her mind and hurt him.’

Rosalyn pulled a tissue from her pocket and wiped her eyes, then her nose. ‘I used to judge her for that because the very reason she couldn’t bear to be around Brandon was the reason I needed to be. My dad’s death a year later exacerbated Mom’s decline in health, and I finally began to understand. I’m telling you all this because, had today been one of those days when she wanted to hang out, well, yes, I was hesitant to meet with you because I was afraid of dragging her through it all again.’

That type of reasoning, that level of protection for one’s family, tapped into Alyssa’s wheelhouse of understanding. Without a doubt, she would’ve reacted the same way. ‘What about your older brother? How can we get ahold of him?’

She hadn’t even finished the question before Rosalyn nearly gave herself whiplash shaking her head no. ‘You’re a day late. He was in town for a couple of days, but he left yesterday on a hunting expedition, and he’ll be gone for two weeks. No cell service.’

‘What do you do in case of an emergency?’ Cord pried the hair curling around his ears from Bobbie Jo’s sticky fingers. She promptly popped her pacifier back in her mouth and burrowed her downy head in the crook of his neck.

Tiny butterflies danced inside Alyssa’s chest when he kissed the top of Bobbie Jo’s head, the warmth from his smile enough to heat a small room.

‘Nothing. He finds out when he returns,’ Rosalyn said in response to Cord’s question.