She swallows. “Then I took him to Oliver’s room. I couldn’t believe how much they looked alike! They could have been twins. They were both wearing white onesies too.” Her voice sounds incredulous, reminding me just how young she really is. “So I set Jackson beside Oliver. He was still sleeping. They looked exactly alike, except for Jackson’s bells. I went to pick Jackson up, but then I thought about my mom. And how Pam is always so focused on Oliver. I thought it would be good to give them both a break.”

I almost retort that Jackson isn’t a toy but refrain. “Then what?” I ask instead.

“I picked up Oliver, and I rushed back downstairs and put him in Jackson’s stroller. He was still asleep. Jackson didn’t even cry. It’s like he wanted to be with me!”

Her rationalizations are ridiculous, but I don’t interrupt.

“Then you left. Mom had to go to work. Pam was still asleep. So I created a diversion to be safe.”

Crystal sucks a sharp breath. “You mean the fire?”

Savi sniffles. “I didn’t want to, but I knew Pam would find out what I had done, and I just wanted to keep Jackson for a little while. Just … just to see what it was like with a different baby. But when you fired her, I realized how lonely I would be. When she came back, she knew something was different. I was so afraid she was going to tell.”

I attempt to wrap my brain around this story. So the swap didn’t happen at the park. That was my mistake. It happened in the house where another baby was sleeping upstairs. The overlooked clue. The ultimate betrayal. The blatant lie.

I gather my words, unsure of what to say. “When did you know?” I direct my question at Crystal.

“I swear I didn’t know until you showed up to the vigil and said Oliver’s name. I knew things were quieter in our house and Pam said something seemed different, but I thought he might just be going through a new phase.” She’s quiet for a moment. “I guess I chose to believe what I wanted to believe.”

“I thought if I had the good baby, then Mom would be happy again,” Savi interrupts. “Everything was supposed to go back to normal. I didn’t think you’d notice, but you did.”

“Of course I noticed,” I snap. “He’s my child. I know the difference between my child and someone else’s.”

“But they look alike.” Savi exudes such childlike innocence in that statement, but she’s not innocent. Nothing about this is innocent.