I hesitated only a moment before accepting his offer, exhausted and yearning for a little calm. I was desperate, and he appeared sincere. To my relief, my baby stopped sobbing as soon as he held her in his arms and even smiled.
Feeling relieved, I turned to capitalize on the quiet and retrieved my laptop and some food from my rucksack. But my heart fell when I turned around. When I observed the man whispering something in my baby’s ear and his attitude shift from being friendly to being considerably more menacing, my blood stopped.
I felt panic take hold of me. Did he intend to hurt her? Was he going to take her hostage?
My defensive mechanisms took over, and I made myself maintain my composure. I refused to allow dread to overcome me. I got up and moved toward him, moving swiftly but deliberately. I shook my head and said, “Excuse me, but I think I need to take her back now.”
The man looked up, seemed surprised, then smiled warmly once more. “Obviously,” he replied, returning my infant to me without any opposition. I embraced her tightly, sensing her tiny heart pounding quickly against mine.
