Mad About You

quite a fantastic story—we've never heard of a reunion like this one."
    Bailey had already dismissed the commotion. "Where's my son?"
    Mr. Maybry stepped forward. "If you could give us just a few more minutes to sign the necessary paperwork to release Chad into your custody—"
    "Show me the papers," he demanded.
    At a signal from Mr. Maybry, a secretary scurried out of the room, then returned with a handful of documents.
    "Now, Mr. and Mrs.—I mean, Mr. Kallihan and Ms. Catron, if you will—"
    Bailey snatched the pen. "Where do I sign?"
    The man abandoned whatever rules he'd been prepared to defend, and simply pointed to a blank line on each paper, where Bailey hastily scrawled his name, then handed the pen to Ginny. She hesitated only a second or two before following suit. Bailey suspected it was the first time she'd signed anything with such abandon since their divorce papers.
    When she set down the pen, he said, "Now, Mr. Maybry, take us to our son."
    "Right this way."
    They were led down a carpeted hallway with numbered doors on either side. Ginny gripped his hand tightly. He caught her worried glance and gave her a wink and a comforting smile.
    The end of the hall opened into a recreation room, complete with game tables, bookshelves, and bean-bag chairs scattered in front of a TV. Bright fluorescent lights reached into the corners of the room, dimmed by blinds that had been pulled, Bailey realized, to keep out prying cameras. His eyes scanned the quiet room, alighting on a small figure sitting at a table against a far wall. At their entrance the woman sitting with the boy stood and moved away.
    Bailey's eyes were riveted on the child as he turned to look their way. His heart threatened to explode as he took in the boy's familiar features. Same dark, unruly hair, same deep widow's peak and slight cowlick, same dense brows, same cobalt-blue eyes. It could have been himself at eight years old.
    He heard Ginny's sharp intake of breath, felt her death grip on his hand. "Oh, my God," she whispered.
    The boy stood up, his eyes guarded, his expression wary. He wore a baggy blue-and-white-striped T-shirt over denim shorts and high-top athletic shoes. As they walked closer, he dropped his gaze and flicked a paint chip from the surface of the table. When at last he looked at them, Bailey saw pain and fear in the boy's wide, dark eyes. Blood pounded in his ears. My son... my son... my son.
    "Hello," Bailey ventured, pleased that his voice worked at all.
    "Hey," came the cautious reply.
    Ginny seemed speechless, unable to tear her eyes away from the boy. Bailey wasn't sure what to say next, but his son had apparently been giving this moment a great deal of thought.
    "So you're my real parents, huh?" He spoke with the low tone and casual grace of a street-smart kid.
    "Yes," Ginny said, her voice wavering only slightly. "Bailey is your father, and I'm Virginia, your m-mother."
    The dark eyes scanned them both head to toe, and Bailey held his breath.
    "I can see you're my old man," Chad said to Bailey. "We got the same face."
    Bailey nodded, confirming the obvious. He was going to have a heart attack if his pulse didn't slow soon.
    Then Chad turned to Ginny, and tilted his head. "But you don't look like any mother I've seen."
    Bailey had to agree. She looked too young and too slim in a blue wrap dress and high heels. He watched as she smiled, her face lighting with wonder. "But I am," she said gently. "I'm your mother."
    His son considered Ginny's words for a few seconds, then turned belligerent eyes her way. "What kind of mother lets her kid get stolen in a grocery store?"

Chapter Four

    BAILEY BLINKED. Ginny dropped his hand, her shoulders falling, her hand covering her open mouth. Anger bolted through his stomach as he looked back to his unruffled son. The boy even had a slight smile on his face. "What did you say?" Bailey demanded.
    Chad rolled his eyes. "I said what kind of mo—"
    "Never mind," Bailey interrupted. "I heard you." He turned to the small knot of people in the back of the room. "We'd like some privacy, please."
    Ginny's father puffed up and opened his mouth to respond, but her mother quieted him and pulled him from the room along with the others. The door closed noiselessly. The only sound in the room was Ginny's soft sniffling as she struggled to regain her composure.
    Bailey wanted to comfort her, but his immediate concern was the cocky cause of her tears.
    Chad stood with his arms loosely crossed,