The crowd turned instantly.
The man pushed forward, breathing heavily.
“I worked there,” he said.
The mother stared at him.
“No…”
“Yes.”
His voice shook.
“That night wasn’t an accident.”
Ethan felt his heart pounding.
“What are you talking about?”
The man looked toward the boy.
Then back at Ethan.
“There weren’t one or two babies.”
Silence.
“There were three.”
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
The mother covered her mouth.
“No…”
Tears streamed down her face.
“No… that’s impossible…”
The man slowly pointed toward the photo still shaking in the boy’s hands.
“Your family was told one child died.”
He pointed at the boy.
“One disappeared.”
Then he looked directly into Ethan’s eyes.
“And one was taken.”
Ethan felt the world tilt beneath him.
“What do you mean… taken?”
The man reached into his wallet.
Pulled out an old newspaper clipping.
Ethan grabbed it.
The headline read:
MYSTERIOUS HOSPITAL FIRE DESTROYS RECORDS
Under it—
A photo.
Three newborn babies.
And standing beside them…
was Ethan’s mother.
But she looked younger.
And she was holding a child Ethan had never seen before.
Then Ethan looked up slowly.
“Mom…”
Her face turned white.
“Who… is that baby?”
