My Baby Wouldn’t Stop Crying Until He Saw the Maid’s Locket—Then I Discovered His “Dead” Mother Was Still Alive

"Keep it locked," I told Lydia. "Put me on speaker."

I could hear Theo babbling in the background. The sound almost stopped my heart.

Lydia asked the visitor for her full name, agency, supervisor, and case number. The woman gave a name that Simone immediately searched against the court's contact information.

"No assigned worker by that name," Simone said. "Tell her to leave. Call local police."

Lydia repeated the instruction.

The woman outside laughed.

"Your brother is interfering with an active investigation," she said. "If you refuse, you'll be charged."

"Put the papers through the mail slot," Lydia replied.

"Just open the door."

Something struck the wood. Theo began to cry.

Lydia moved him away from the entrance and dialed emergency services on her second phone. Grant, already nearby, headed to the house but stayed in contact with dispatch instead of trying to play hero.

I listened to footsteps across the porch, then a vehicle starting.

When police arrived, the woman was gone. The camera above Lydia's garage had captured a partial plate and a clear view of her face. The badge was a fake, and the agency confirmed it had sent nobody.

At the hospital, Mara watched me replay the footage.

"She went after him," Mara said.

"She didn't get in. Lydia did everything right."

"They've spent five months telling me I'm crazy. Now they want to make me believe I can't protect my own child."

I closed the phone.

"No more secrets," I said. "Not from each other."

Mara looked at the floor.

"There's one thing I haven't told you."

My stomach tightened.

"What?"

"Before the crash, I found something your mother left for you. I thought it was old family business. I didn't understand it was a warning."

"My mother died eleven years ago."