“Yes!” Elle waved a hand and looked around as if she expected to see the mountains—and just like that, she saw where she really was. The child dropped away, and for a moment she looked confused. She took a long breath.

Adam thought she was going to scream and half stood.

But her gaze fell on the blown-glass pendant, and she smiled. “My mother.” She took Rune’s hand. “Thank you. You truly gave me my mother, all of her.”

Adam’s relief passed, and he wished she was under again. He hadn’t asked all the necessary questions. “Your mother’s an archaeologist?”

“Yes. We work in Peru in their summer, and stay at Grandma and Grandpa’s in summer here. Here in the northern hemisphere.”

“Right. The seasons are flipped in the northern and southern hemispheres. I know that. I really do.” Rune had obviously suffered a confused moment.

With every passing second, they moved further away from the revelations Adam needed. “What is your mother’s name?”

Elle opened her mouth to reply—and stopped.

Adam’s heart sank.

Then, in a childlike, singsong voice she recited, “My mother is Sofia Neely.” The adult Elle appeared again, and looked at Adam. “My mother made me memorize that.”

Adam went to his computer. The internet seemed to be back. “Sofia Neely, American archaeologist working in Peru. We can find her.”

“That would be good. I know she’s worried to death.” Elle came and hung over his shoulder. “My mom. If I can talk to my mom, I can find out where I was when this all started.”

Adam felt the tremor of excitement that ran through her. Although, since she had landed on the beach and come alive in his arms, she’d been totally his. To have the rest of the world engulf her...

“What are you waiting for?” She nudged him. “Type!”

“Right.” He entered Sofia Neely and her occupation into the search engine, then narrowed the search to Peru. “Why aren’t I finding her?” he asked. “Why aren’t I finding any archaeologists working in Peru?”

Rune joined them. “You’re hitting an information block?”

“That’s right.” Elle was remembering again. “To discourage looting, Peru no longer releases information about its archaeological sites.”

“But she should be somewhere!” Rune protested. “She grew up somewhere! She went to school somewhere!”

Adam said, “One problem. Sofia is a common name in South America. Another problem is that she may have married and changed her last name. Elle? Any thoughts about that?”

“She married my stepfather. I told you that. Did she take his last name? I have no idea.” Elle lifted her hands helplessly. “I had to tap the little girl Elle to come up with her name in the first place.”

Rune’s phone rang. She looked at the number, excused herself to answer it and went out on the porch.