Craig was still in his own head, his mind still scrambling for logical explanations: Merlina's safehaven's employee, she's mentoring him, that's why he said 'Mommy.' Maybe the boy just calls her that…maybe…
Until he heard the host say, "Let's have another round of applause for Cameron Sanchez."
He couldn't shake the name.
Cameron Sanchez.
He repeated it silently, trying to make sense of it. Why was the boy answering to her last name? Was he a relative? A little brother she'd never mentioned?
But then—why Mommy?
Nothing fit. The logic kept folding in on itself, collapsing under the weight of what his eyes had just seen.
Cameron Sanchez.
He'd heard that name before. Somewhere. Week ago? Months? An email chain, a project proposal, a donor list? The details blurred.
His memory reached for it, but everything in his head felt scrambled, white noise and dust.
