CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY ONE – BECOMING FUGITIVES

With a polite nod, Karina hurried down the hallway towards the nursery. Her heart clenched as she caught sight of her precious daughter, gurgling happily with her favorite stuffed wolf clutched in her tiny hands. "Hey there, sweetie," Karina cooed as the caregiver looked up, scooping Becky into her arms. "Did you have a fun day?" "Ms. Hardy!" The young woman's brow knit with surprise. "I wasn't expecting you for another hour or so. Is everything okay?" Karina froze, her mouth going dry as she scrambled for a plausible excuse. "Oh, um...yes! Yes, everything's fine. Just, uh...just had a free afternoon, so I thought I'd pick her up early and we could spend some extra mommy-daughter time." "Well, that's just lovely!" The caregiver beamed. "You two have a wonderful rest of your day, okay?" "Absolutely, thank you so much." Clutching Becky tightly, Karina backed away with an anxious smile and hurried out to her waiting car. As soon as she was inside with the doors locked, she sagged wit