The tension in the room was palpable, mixed with varying degrees of anger, confusion, and rage. It was still pitch-black outside, yet the mood inside the home of Gus and Jason was even darker. The two men sat together on their couch with their hands held tightly, while Jason’s parents and Justin did their best to reassure them that everything would be alright. Every few seconds, someone would glance over at the two policemen standing nearby, speaking somberly with Brian. Brian had taken over talking to the officers, when it became obvious that neither Gus nor Jason could remain calm enough to tell a coherent story as to why police had been summoned in a frantic 911 call.
The couple could still vividly recall their panic the moment they entered the nursery room directly across from their bedroom, after hearing one of the babies crying on the monitor. The twins had not been home for long, yet the couple already had a rhythm going for their nighttime treks to the nursery, either for a feeding or changing a dirty diaper. Often, they would hear the sound of both babies crying at the same time, one of them probably waking the other. But there were a few rare instances when only one baby awoke, so the fact that they only heard a single cry this time did not immediately cause any alarm. Even though only one baby was awake, both Gus and Jason always got up together in case the other baby needed care too. They never resented the lack of sleep one tiny bit. It was a joy to be able to be there for their precious sons.
But this night was different… tragically different! Jason walked over to Regalo’s crib, since it was obvious that the wailing sound was coming from his side of the room. He was just about to reach down to pick up and comfort his son, when he heard Gus’s panicked voice calling out Amado’s name. Turning around quickly, he saw Gus leaning into Amado’s crib and frantically seeming to be searching for something. Jason rushed over, realizing immediately why Gus was so panicked. Even in the dimmed light of the room, it was obvious there was no baby in the crib. Gus turned to Jason, a look on his face that Jason had never seen before and prayed he would never see again. It was sheer terror.
“Where is he?” Gus wailed.
Jason leaned into the crib. There, he spotted the piece of paper that had fallen to the side of the crib, when Gus frantically searched for his son. He rushed over to the doorway and flipped on the light so that they could see more clearly. He held the piece of paper up and began to read. The look on his face, as he read, struck terror into Gus’s heart. Jason handed the note to Gus and went back to Regalo’s crib. He scooped the still crying baby into his arms and held him tightly. Tears started rolling down his cheeks. Gus began to read the note, his body starting to shake all over.
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It read…
‘Dearest Gus,
I realize that by the time you read this you may feel nothing but anger, even hatred towards me. I can only pray that in time you will forgive me, because I have not left you or Jason empty handed. I have kept my promise to give you both a child. And I know that your son will give you all the joy that having a child provides for those of us who are meant to be parents, as you and Jason most certainly are. I know what I am talking about because being Steven’s mother was the only thing in life that made it worth living. I did not lie to you about Steven, although I confess that Jerry was never my husband. He was simply a good friend and neighbor, who was there for me in my darkest days. You see, the truth is that almost two years ago I lost my precious boy in a terrible accident. I was driving us to the store to shop. On the way there we were hit by a drunk driver when he ran a stop light. The car hit us on the passenger side and killed my beautiful boy instantly. I was hospitalized for a week with broken bones and contusions, but survived… if it can be called survival.
Once I was released from the hospital, I fell into a deep depression. Some weeks later, I could no longer stand the pain of my empty life. I tried to take my own life by swallowing nearly a full bottle of sleeping pills the doctor had prescribed to help me sleep. What I had not counted on was my neighbor, Jerry, being worried about me and using the key I had given him long before as a safety precaution, and checking up on me when I hadn’t answered my phone after many tries. Thanks to him, I survived again. But in truth, I still longed to die and join my Stevie. Then a miracle happened. I spent a lot of my time reading to escape the pain. That’s when I discovered your book, which talked about wanting a child. Out of nowhere, I felt it was a sign for me.
Please believe me when I tell you that my original offer was based solely on my desire to feel life inside me again. And knowing how kind you are, I confess that I felt you would let me be a part of our child’s life. Perhaps I was only fooling myself, in order to ease my conscience, but I swear that was what I was thinking in the beginning. But then came the second miracle. We discovered I was carrying twins. Then I knew I was doing the right thing. Not only could I give you and Jason a child, but I could have a child of my own once more. I did consider asking the two of you to let me keep one baby, but I felt that Jason would never allow it. He is a good man, I’m sure, but he doesn’t have the kind of generous heart I’ve always known that you have.
Please trust me that I will take the best care imaginable for my… for our son. He will never want for anything. And maybe someday, once the two boys are grown, we can come back and reunite them. I would like that, because a boy should get to know his father. I am quite certain that you are his father, just as the other one is Jason’s. But again, I pray you will forgive me for this action. I never meant to hurt you, but I know in my heart that it’s only fair. We both now have what we wanted most in life.
I’m so sorry, Heather’
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The detectives stood by quietly, recording all that was being said, as Brian gave them as many details of the events that had occurred as he had come to learn from his son. Gus had shown them the note Heather had left behind the moment they arrived. Brian's blood began to boil with each word he read. He mentally kicked himself for having believed Heather's story without doing a background check on her, something he would have done with any new client coming into his business. His self-anger threatened to overwhelm him, and only Justin's calming voice brought Brian back to what was most important... finding Heather and righting this travesty. He managed to keep his temper in check, until one of the detectives made mention that the mother might have a legal right to take one of the babies.
"She signed away her rights to both of the babies before even leaving the hospital!" he growled through clenched teeth. "Her rights to either of my son's children ended then and there. This is no different than a stranger kidnapping a child!"
"Of course, sir. I understand," the detective replied quietly. "Can you provide those papers for our report?"
Brian walked over to the couch. His heart broke to see the looks on his son and Jason's faces.
"Son, I'm sorry to ask this, but do you have the papers that I can show these men, which prove that that woman had relinquished all rights to your sons?"
Jason stood up, reluctantly releasing Gus's hand, and walked back towards their bedroom. Brian followed. It only took a moment for Jason to locate the papers in a small wall safe. He handed them over to Brian, tears beginning to form in the corners of his eyes once again. Brian reached for Jason and brought him close in for a hug.
"I know, Son, I know! She won't get away with this. I promise you that. If it takes every penny we have and every resource available to us, we'll find her and get your baby back. I'm just sorry that we didn't pay more attention to your doubts. Gus told me how you didn't quite trust the offer at first. If we had done more research, this would never have happened."
Jason pulled back. "Don't blame yourself. It's too late for blame and doesn't do anyone any good. It won't bring our baby back, but Gus and I will accept any help you can give us now. And you know we'll do whatever it takes to bring Amado back home where he belongs. But Brian, right now you need to be there for Gus more than anything. I can tell that he is feeling more pain than any of us. He blames himself for trusting her. I'm worried about him more than I can say."
"We'll all be there for him. You know that. Now, I'd better get these papers to the detectives. The sooner they get started on finding her, the better."
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Hours turned into days... dark, dark days... as Gus and Jason and their families desperately tried to deal with the uncertainty of where Amado was, and how such an evil thing had happened to them in the midst of their greatest joy. Their only comfort, slight though it was, was that they all believed Heather would do nothing to hurt the innocent baby. Her letter gave them that one tiny bit of faith. But it did nothing to stop the outrage at what she had done to them. Any sympathy they might have felt for her own loss was lost in the haze of red-hot anger each and every one of them was feeling.
The FBI had been called in early when it became clear that Heather was not an American citizen, and there was every possibility she would try to ferret the baby across the border into Canada. Every effort to find her through all forms of transportation available to her was proving futile. She had not taken an Uber or cab ride to Gus and Jason's house on the night of the abduction, as she had proclaimed, so that lead dried up quickly.
More days passed, with no word of any progress. It was as if the earth had opened up and swallowed them whole. Gus had retreated into himself, barely even speaking to anyone but his father or Justin. Even his sister couldn't get through to him. Jason explained that he knew Gus felt guilty for accepting Heather's offer. Most of the care for little Regalo had fallen to Jason, even though he did find Gus in the nursery in the middle of the night more than once, rocking the baby and quietly crying. Jason stood outside the slightly open nursery door and overheard Gus apologizing to Regalo over and over. He never interrupted the scene. He would slip quietly back into their bedroom and let his own tears flow. Every attempt he had made to convince Gus that he had nothing to feel guilty about seemed to fall on deaf ears. Jason knew that nothing would comfort Gus now, outside of seeing both of their sons together again, safe in their home and father's arms.
Finally, six days after the abduction, they had their first major breakthrough. The residents of homes anywhere near theirs had already been questioned very early on, with nothing to show for it. However, an elderly man came forward with something he thought the detectives might want to see. He explained how he lived close by Gus and Jason's place. He had installed a security camera on the outside of his house, after there had been more than one attempt at burglaries in the neighborhood almost a year earlier. He had gotten into the habit of only checking the camera occasionally, once the threat had ended. The day before this, he was checking out the video and noticed something odd. It was in the middle of the night, and he could clearly see a woman holding a baby, entering a car parked right in front of his house. He didn't recognize the woman or the car. When he checked the date of the recording, he realized it was on the same night as the nearby abduction of an infant.
The news gave everyone a burst of hope. When the detectives showed the video to Gus and Jason, they felt certain that the woman was Heather. Although the street was dark, there was just enough light from a nearby streetlamp to reveal the clothing the woman was wearing. It was enough to tentatively identify her. That, along with doubts that another woman with a baby would be out in the streets at such an hour, convinced everyone that this was how Heather had made her escape with Amado. Unfortunately, the video was not angled in a way to reveal the full license plate of the car, but the last few numbers were visible as it pulled away from the curb. That, along with the make and model of the vehicle gave them the first real ray of hope of tracking Heather down. The one thing that was fairly certain was that she wasn't driving a rental car. All rental agencies had already been checked out thoroughly, long before this new discovery. The hunt was now on to find out how she acquired the car she had used to make her escape.
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Heather gathered Amado into her arms and made her way into the apartment in Dallas that she had rented months before. She settled the sleeping baby into the crib she had bought for him, as soon as she knew her hopes for the future had been fulfilled, after learning she was pregnant again. She gazed down at his sleeping form, a bittersweet smile crossing her face. A part of her, buried deep in her conscience, felt a tinge of guilt over the deception she had lived with for so long, in order to have this time with her son. But on the surface, she only felt joy. She knew that Gus’s entire family, as well as Jason’s, would hate her beyond measure, but she had taken as many precautions to disappear permanently as was possible. She was extremely glad that she had been so thrifty with the money she had inherited from her parents, as well as saving as much of her earnings as possible over the years. It had made it possible for her to create a whole new identity and provide a safe life for her and the baby.
She bent over the crib and whispered, “I love you, my darling boy. I promise you a happy life. And someday, if it seems the right time, I promise to tell you the whole truth about your birth. Now sleep well, little Stevie. I will never let anything bad happen to you ever again.”
To be continued……