“I’ll take responsibility.”
“What?”
He made an impatient gesture. “The baby was found in my apartment. It was my decision to wait for the parents to contact me.”
“Lying to the police?”
“Adjusting the truth microscopically.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Are you a lawyer, too?”
He chuckled. “No.”
“What is it you do, by the way? Mrs. Carlson upstairs talks about you as ‘our resident teacher.’ Any truth in that, or is it just her nerve pills speaking?”
“She’s right. I have a teaching diploma, but I mostly work as a speech therapist.”
Speech therapist. Of all the occupations in the world, she wouldn’t have guessed that one in a million years. It didn’t go with the motorbike. She made a mental note to pry further later. “Why is this so important to you?”
“I know what foster care can be like. I don’t wish it on an infant.”
There was obviously a story behind that statement, delivered in a clipped tone devoid of emotion.
“I’m sorry you had a bad experience, but foster care is often excellent, handled by caring, loving people.”
“Yes. And sometimes it’s not.”
“Be reasonable, Justin. You don’t know who left him here and why. His parents may be searching for him. If we don’t turn him in, that’s kidnapping. He’ll be well looked after by the authorities.”
“This is a tiny baby, just a few months old. He needs care. He needs bonding. Do you know what happens to infants who don’t bond with a caretaker in the first few months? They may never recover.”
“He’ll get good care. He’ll get better care, better bonding, with someone who knows what they’re doing.” She gestured at the two of them. “And neither of us does. Neither of us has even the time to look after a baby.”
“We’re capable. I’ve got the time, and I want to help.”
“So you just want to take this baby?”
Justin’s sigh suggested she was being extremely difficult. “I’m not suggesting we steal him, Laura. Just that we look after him while we try to track down his parents. There has to be a reason he was left here. We’ll figure it out and find his parents.”
“And then what? We give him back to people who left him alone on a strange doorstep?”
“I don’t know. We don’t know the circumstances. We’ll deal with that when the time comes.”
She shook her head. “Justin, you’re not thinking clearly. The only logical thing to do is to turn this over to the police and Social Services. They know what to do.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. There are good people there, of course there are. Probably the majority. But there are no guarantees. He might also be neglected. He might be shuffled between places. He won’t know the security of one caretaker, one home, while he’s away from his folks. He’ll be much better off with us until we can find his mother.”
“I don’t know. I could really get in trouble. We could get in a lot of trouble.” Laura groaned. Calling the police, Social Services, anyone who would deal with the situation was suddenly imperative.
“Obviously this is someone you know, Laura. Probably an old friend. And she said she’d be in touch. She’ll probably call in a day or two, explain everything. Or come by and pick up the baby.”
“A day or two?” Frustrated, Laura bit her lip hard. “Do you have any idea how many diapers I’d have to change in a day or two?”
“No.”
“Me neither! I don’t know anything about babies. It’s for the best if we call the police. He’ll be safe then.”
“Look.” Justin looked grim and determined. “I’ll help, okay? Between the two of us we should be fine.”
“But what if this baby has been kidnapped? We’d be accomplices to a felony. His mother could be searching for him right this minute.”
“We’d have heard on the news if there was a baby missing.”
“Not necessarily. Maybe he was kidnapped and the parents warned not to call the police.”
“And the kidnappers just randomly choose an apartment, one apartment in this complex, to keep him safe meanwhile? So in a few days they’ll be knocking on your door asking you to return him so they can claim their ransom?”
She gritted her teeth. “Or, they are counting on us to return him through the police. So they won’t get caught when returning him.”
“Isn’t that a rather far-fetched idea?”
Why did he have to sound so reasonable and she so hysterical? Those were stereotypical roles she did not approve of, and besides, she was making sense and he wasn’t.
“It’s not a big deal, Laura. If nobody is in touch in a day or two, then we’ll go to the police, okay?”
There was a noise from the bedroom. Laura and Justin were at the door instantly. In the bed, the baby stirred. Laura held her breath and noticed Justin did the same, as the baby’s eyes fluttered open, revealing dark blue eyes. The child looked at them, surprise widening his eyes. Any time now, Laura thought in resignation. He would open that rosebud mouth and start screaming for his mother.
The baby opened his mouth and laughed. He had two tiny teeth in his lower gum and used both of them to hack at Laura’s heart.
Maybe he would be better off here with them after all. Just while they sorted out this mess with his parents.
“Looks like he’s quite happy to be here,” Justin said.
“We need diapers for him,” Laura said, giving in, just for the time being. “That first diaper change will not be the old-fashioned way, rain forests or not.”
“No argument from me.”
“And then once we have some diapers, we actually have to change his diaper.”
“We?” Justin stepped back. “Oh, no. I have to help with the diapers, too?”
Laura stared at him and sputtered. “This was your idea! You’re expecting me to handle the dirty stuff? Are you nuts? If I had my way, that kid would already be in the hands of professional diaper changers. Either you’re in, or I turn the kid in.”
Justin’s eyes narrowed at her tone. “Is this a joke to you?”
“Not even close. And we still have that diaper to change.”
“I don’t think I know how to.”
“Well, not to worry. We’re two fully competent professional adults. We can change a diaper. First things first: we need to buy some diapers.”
“That’s right.” Justin looked relieved. “We need some diapers.”
They were both at the front door when they noticed the other one was there, too.
“I’m going to buy the diapers,” Laura stated firmly.
“No, I am. You’re exhausted. Even if you make it to the store, you’re in no shape to make it back up the stairs. You can stay here and rest with the baby.”
Hah! Nice try. She could see the panic in his eyes. It wasn’t concern for her that made him want to be the one to escape for half an hour. No. He was just as terrified at the thought of being left alone with the child as she was.
“I’m not staying here alone with him. I don’t have