Fifteen minutes later, two police officers arrived.
« He’s safe, » one of them assured me, gently taking him in his arms. « You did the right thing. »
But when I gathered diapers, wipes, and a small bottle for him, my eyes welled up with tears.
« Please, » I said. « Keep him warm. He likes to be held close. »
The policeman smiled at me compassionately. « We’ll take care of it. »
When the door closed, silence filled the room. I collapsed on the sofa, clutching a forgotten sock, and cried until Ruth hugged me.
The next day, everything seemed unreal. I was taking care of my son, but my mind kept returning to that baby. Where was he? Was he safe and sound?
That evening, while I was rocking my son to sleep, the phone vibrated. An unknown number.
« Hello? » I whispered.
« Mrs. Miranda? » A deep, controlled voice.
« It’s about the baby you found, » she said. « We need to meet. Today at four o’clock. Write down this address. »
I picked up a pen. And my heart almost stopped — it was the address of my workplace.
« Who are you? » I asked.
« Come. You’ll understand. »
Then the line cut out.
At four o’clock, I was in the lobby. The security guard made a call, then told me:
« Top floor. »
The elevator was slowly ascending, my stomach in knots. When the doors opened, I entered a world of marble and silence.
A silver-haired man was sitting behind a large desk. He looked up.
« Sit down, » he said in a calm voice.
He took a deep breath.
« The child you found… » His voice broke. « He’s my grandson. »
I felt nauseous. « Your… grandson? »
He nodded, his eyes filled with pain.
“My son left his wife two months ago, leaving her alone with a newborn. We tried to help her, but she refused everything. Yesterday, she left a letter: she said she couldn’t take it anymore.”
His voice trailed off. “She wrote: ‘If you want the baby, find it yourselves.’”
I felt tears welling up in my eyes.
“So she left him on that bench…?”
He said. « Yes. And without you… he would be dead. »
The silence was heavy. Then, suddenly, he stood up, walked around the desk, and knelt before me.
“You saved my grandson,” he said, his voice trembling. “I will never know how to thank you.”
“I just did what anyone would have done,” I replied.
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Not just anyone.”
I lowered my eyes, embarrassed. « I…I work here, you know. I clean the offices. »
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