Sarah broke down, wailing in her grief.

Her husband put both arms around her, holding her close as tears wet his face. “I’m sorry we can’t do more to help.”

Freddie put his business card on the coffee table. “If you think of anything, no matter how insignificant, please call.”

“We will.”

Sam couldn’t seem to get air to her lungs after hearing Todd had been adopted at twelve. Her feet didn’t want to work the way they were supposed to, and she felt like she had traveled outside herself and was watching the scene play out as a spectator rather than a participant.

Tuning in to her distress, Freddie took her arm and steered her toward the front door. He guided her down the stairs and the walk to the sidewalk. “Take a breath.”

Sam forced air into her lungs as she combatted an overpowering sense of panic. What if the same thing happened to them someday? The boy she loved like her own, who’d come into their lives so unexpectedly and changed everything...

“Breathe, Sam.”

She bent in half, rested her hands on her knees and tried to get air past the enormous lump in her throat. Closing her eyes tight against the burn of tears, she fought for every breath.

“Do you want me to call Nick?”

“No.”

“What can I do?”

“Just give me a minute.”

He gave her ten minutes and stood by her side until her heart rate slowed and she was able to stand upright.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. The parallels were hard to miss.”

“I can’t even imagine what they’re going through. I can’t go there.”

“You don’t have to. Scotty is fine. He’s with Nick, and everything is fine.”

“He’s lived with us for only a few months and already, if something ever happened to him, I know I’d never survive it. How will they survive it?”

“I don’t know, but somehow they will. Somehow they always do, even when it seems impossible.”

“Maybe this is why I’ve been unable to have kids of my own. Because someone up there knows I’m not cut out for this shit.”

“Don’t think that way, Sam. Who’s cut out for what they’re going through?”

“Still...” She ran her hands over the hair she’d clipped up for work. “Sorry to freak out. I appreciate you getting me out of there.”

“It was no problem. I could tell the part about them adopting Todd hit you hard.” He held out his hand. “Want me to drive?”

Since her hands were still trembling, Sam handed over the keys. “Sure. Thanks.”

“Another thing to keep in mind,” Freddie said when they were on the road, “is that Todd Brantley was participating in illegal activities at the time of his death. I can’t see Scotty doing that—ever.”