Chapter 51

Veronica reflects on the five years since Dominic vanished, describing relentless visits to the police, their suspicion that Clay killed the baby, and fruitless corpse-dog searches. She distances herself from Clay, who later dies of an overdose, and holds onto sobriety and a single keepsake—the elephant toy—as she moves and works low-wage jobs.

In New York, Veronica stabilizes with a caregiving job for the Simington family, navigating tension with the housekeeper Kathy while clinging to the belief that Dominic is alive. She imagines better futures for him to stave off despair and saves money with the hope of hiring a private investigator.

While driving to pick up the Simington children, Veronica gets a call from her former best friend Lola in St. Louis. Lola, now working in the records department, shares rumors about a recently retired clerk, Lorraine Paxson, known for issuing documents without proper proof.

Prompted by this, Lola combs records from the period after Dominic’s disappearance and finds a birth certificate for a boy named Theodore issued about a week later, listing mother Naomi Paxson—Lorraine’s daughter—and father Jeremy Roth. The timing and family connection suggest the baby could be Dominic under a new identity.

Though wary of false hope, Veronica embraces the potential lead. The revelation restores her determination, and she decides to investigate Naomi and Jeremy, believing this may finally bring her back to her son.