“Lew, I’m Annie. Do you remember? I’m Annie, your wife. This is our baby. We’ve known each other since we were children. I was worried about you.”

“You’ve got to stop it.” He got up and moved around the bed toward the cot, but she stepped in front of him, pressing her hands firmly to his chest.

“I’ll stop his crying.” She lifted Baby out, sat again, and put him to her breast.

Lew kept still and quiet as she fed Baby and Annie talked as normally as she could—about his father, her family, Raj, and other things going on in town. He still seemed agitated, though, his eyes frantic and confused. After a while Baby stopped feeding and fell asleep. She laid him in his cot. Then she raised her hand out to Lew.

“Lew, come with me. We’re going to have a bath.”

To her surprise he took her hand and let her lead him into the little bathroom.

“What is it going to do?” he said, glancing back at Baby.

“He’s asleep.”

As she drew the bath she began without thinking to sing to him, just whatever words came to her head in a gentle, calming melody. It seemed to ease his agitation and he let her take off his clothes—a jacket, a filthy pair of tracksuit pants, and mismatched sneakers, none of which she had seen before. Getting him into the tub, she washed him thoroughly, shampooing his matted hair four times. The water turned black. Still singing, she got him out, dried him gently, then clipped and cleaned his nails. He even sat still enough to let her cut his beard, shave him, and trim his hair. Her Lew emerged from this monster. Finally, she got him to brush his own teeth, which he seemed to remember how to do, but his gums bled profusely. She sang then to keep herself from crying. Finally she led him to the bed. Getting in with him, she rubbed his back and sang until he fell asleep.

When she was sure of this, she slipped out, got Baby, and made her way as quietly as she could to the landing just outside the front door of the apartment, where there was a telephone. She didn’t shut the door, just pulled it to, because she was afraid it would make too much noise.

As she was dialing Ruth’s number, the apartment door flew open and Lew, naked, wrenched Baby out of her arms while pushing her back. She just saved herself from falling down the stairs by taking hold of the banister. Before she could regain her balance, he was back in the apartment and had locked the door.

Annie threw her body hard against it, screaming, “Lew, don’t hurt the baby. Don’t hurt our baby. Lew, it’s your baby. It’s your son. Don’t hurt him.”