By the next afternoon, I had stopped expecting one conversation to solve everything.
Every time a doctor entered Paige's room, I hoped for answers.
Every time the investigator appeared, I wondered whether someone had remembered something.
Every time Kate looked at me, I wanted to believe she understood why I had brought Paige to the hospital.
And every time Ryan asked what the staff were discussing, I felt the room grow tense.
The investigation was affecting all of us.
But Paige was the one who had been injured.
I kept returning to that fact whenever I felt myself becoming overwhelmed.
The nurse came in after lunch to check Paige.
She examined the position of the injured leg.
She asked about her comfort.
She reviewed the feeding and care plan.
I watched carefully.
I wanted to understand the instructions.
Not because I expected to be allowed to take Paige home.
Because someone might ask me to help.
And I wanted to be ready if they did.
The nurse explained a few things about keeping Paige comfortable without putting unnecessary pressure on the injured area.
I listened.
I asked questions.
I made sure I understood what she meant.
Then I watched her settle Paige again.
My niece made a small sound.
But she didn't scream.
That difference still affected me.
I remembered the terrible cries at my house.
The way her body had stiffened.
The sweat in her hair.
I wanted those memories to become distant.
I wanted Paige to stop associating being moved with pain.
After the nurse left, I sat beside her.
Kate was nearby.
Ryan had stepped out.
My sister looked at me.
"You've been watching everything they do."
I nodded.
"I want to know how to help her."
Kate looked down.
"Me too."
For a moment, I felt close to her again.
Not because the questions were gone.
But because we both wanted Paige to feel better.
I wished that could be enough.
A little later, the investigator returned with another professional from the hospital team.
They explained that they wanted to review what had been established and what still needed to be checked.
Kate sat straighter.
I moved my chair slightly.
Ryan returned before the conversation began.
The investigator spoke calmly.
She explained that the medical team had documented Paige's leg fracture, the bruising, and the additional bone injury.
The specialists were continuing to review the findings.
The investigation was gathering information about Paige's care before she arrived at my house.
No final conclusion had been reached about how the injuries occurred.
I listened closely.
That last point mattered.
I didn't want anyone punished based only on fear.
I wanted the evidence examined properly.
The investigator explained that they needed a reliable timeline.
Who cared for Paige.
When she began showing signs of pain.
Whether anyone witnessed an accident.
What products had been applied to her skin.
And whether any previous symptoms might be relevant.
Kate looked down.
Ryan folded his arms.
I thought about the earlier conversations.
The restless night.
The difficult diaper change.
Ryan caring for Paige while Kate prepared to leave.
The night the week before when Paige wouldn't settle.
All those details belonged somewhere in the timeline.
But I didn't know where the injuries fit.
The investigator asked whether either parent had remembered anything new.
Kate hesitated.
Then she spoke.
"I told you about the night last week."
The investigator nodded.
"Yes."
Kate continued.
"She cried for hours. Ryan helped me."
Ryan looked toward her.
I noticed the movement.
Kate kept speaking.
"I don't know whether that has anything to do with the rib."
The investigator answered carefully.
"That's something the medical specialists will evaluate."
I appreciated that she didn't draw conclusions simply because Kate had mentioned a difficult night.
The images could suggest healing.
But they couldn't provide a complete story by themselves.
Ryan spoke.
"She was teething."
I looked down.
The word again.
I could almost hear Paige screaming in my living room.
But I didn't interrupt.
The investigator nodded.
"You believed she was teething."
Ryan said yes.
She asked whether he had any memory of an accident or sudden event.
He shook his head.
"No."
Kate said the same.
I watched them.
I wanted to believe they were both searching their memories honestly.
But I couldn't know.
The investigator moved on to Saturday morning.
She asked about the period before Paige was brought to my house.
Kate explained that she'd been getting ready.
Ryan had cared for Paige during part of that time.
Then Kate changed and dressed the baby.
The investigator asked whether Paige had cried during the diaper change.
Kate nodded.
"Yes."
"Did you notice any injury?"
"No."
The investigator looked at Ryan.
"Did you?"
"No."
She asked whether either of them had applied makeup or another product to Paige's thigh.
Both denied doing so.
I kept my eyes on Paige.
I had already heard those answers.
But I was still waiting for someone to explain the beige coating.
The investigator mentioned that the hospital had documented the cosmetic-like substance.
She explained that identifying its source was part of the information being reviewed.
Kate looked toward the diaper bag.
I noticed.
The investigator asked whether she wanted to add anything about it.
Kate hesitated.
"I pack Paige's bag. Sometimes I put my things in there."
The investigator nodded.
"What kind of things?"
"Keys. Lip balm. Things from my purse."
She asked whether Kate ever kept concealer in the bag.
My sister paused.
"I might have."
I felt my heart beat faster.
That was more than she'd said to me.
Earlier, she'd told me she didn't remember.
Now she was saying it was possible.
The investigator didn't react dramatically.
She asked whether Kate could remember a particular product.
Kate shook her head.
"No."
"Do you know whether it was in the bag Saturday morning?"
"No."
The investigator wrote that down.
I looked at my sister.
I wanted to ask how a product from a bag could end up spread over Paige's injured thigh.
But the possibility that concealer had been packed wasn't proof that anyone had applied it.
I had to remember that.
The investigator continued asking questions.
She didn't raise her voice.
She didn't accuse Kate of lying.
She simply tried to establish what could be verified.
I admired that patience.
I was struggling to maintain my own.
Ryan asked whether all of this meant the hospital believed someone had deliberately hurt Paige.
The investigator explained that the medical findings and circumstances required a thorough investigation.
She couldn't provide a conclusion that hadn't been reached.
I looked at Ryan.
He seemed frustrated.
I wondered whether he wanted the questions to stop because he was frightened.
Or because he was tired.
Or for some reason I didn't understand.
I couldn't know.
The investigator asked me to confirm the timeline from my house one more time.
I did.
Kate and Ryan arrived around nine.
Kate came inside with Paige.
Ryan waited in the car.
Kate stayed about five minutes.
She mentioned teething and a difficult night.
She told me she trusted my judgment.
They left.
About twenty minutes later, Paige began crying.
I tried a bottle.
She refused it.
I held her and walked slowly.
Her crying worsened.
When I adjusted my supporting hand, she screamed.
I took her to the changing table.
I noticed her left leg moved less than the right.
Then I found swelling and beige makeup on the thigh.
I used one clean wipe.
The coating came away.
The bruise appeared.
Paige screamed.
I stopped touching the area and brought her to the hospital.
I kept my voice steady.
I had told the same account so many times that the order felt fixed in my mind.
But I wasn't reciting it to protect myself.
I was repeating it because it was true.
The investigator asked whether anyone else had access to Paige during those twenty minutes.
"No."
Whether there had been any accident.
"No."
Whether I had used any cosmetics.
"No."
Whether I'd noticed the bruise before opening the sleeper.
"No."
She nodded.
The other professional made notes.
Then the investigator explained that the medical evaluation, interviews, and any other appropriate evidence would be considered before conclusions were reached.
I looked toward the diaper bag.
I wondered whether the investigators would find a product that matched the beige coating.
I wondered whether the wipe I'd left near the changing table could still help.
I had given them the information.
I couldn't do the investigation myself.
The investigator then turned to the question of Paige's care.
She explained that the hospital and appropriate agencies were working on a plan to keep Paige safe while the investigation continued.
Kate immediately looked frightened.
"Are you taking her away?"
The investigator answered carefully.
She said no final arrangement was being announced in that conversation.
The professionals involved would assess Paige's needs and any proposed caregivers.
I could see Kate trying to control her tears.
Ryan leaned forward.
"She's our daughter."
The investigator nodded.
"I understand."
He looked frustrated.
"We love her."
I looked at Paige.
I didn't doubt that people could love a child.
But love alone didn't explain a broken bone.
It didn't explain a rib injury.
It didn't explain makeup covering a bruise.
And it couldn't replace a safety assessment.
The investigator continued explaining the process.
She said relatives might be considered if a temporary care arrangement became necessary.
Kate glanced at me.
I knew what she was thinking.
The social worker had already asked whether I'd be willing to help.
I had said yes.
But I hadn't been approved for anything.
I didn't know what would happen.
Ryan looked toward me too.
"Did you ask for that?"
I shook my head.
"No."
He stared.
"The social worker asked whether I could help if Paige needed care."
Ryan looked away.
I continued.
"I said I would."
Kate covered her face.
I felt a terrible ache in my chest.
I didn't want to make my sister cry.
I didn't want to take her daughter from her.
I wanted Paige safe.
Those things weren't the same.
The investigator reminded us that no final decision had been made.
She explained that any arrangement would depend on proper review.
I nodded.
I was grateful she said it clearly.
I didn't want Kate or Ryan believing I had arranged something behind their backs.
I hadn't.
I had simply answered a question honestly.
The conversation ended without a dramatic conclusion.
The investigator thanked us for cooperating.
She said we would receive information about the next steps through the appropriate people.
Then she left.
For a while, the room was silent.
Ryan stood near the window.
Kate sat beside Paige.
I remained in my chair.
The afternoon light had become soft.
I could hear the hum of the hospital around us.
Nothing had been solved.
But the questions were becoming clearer.
Who injured Paige?
When?
How?
Who knew she was hurt?
Who put makeup over the bruise?
And why had nobody told me anything before leaving her in my care?
I didn't have those answers.
Neither did the doctors.
Not yet.
But Paige was receiving treatment.
Her injuries had been documented.
Her medical history was being reviewed.
And people were working on a plan for her safety.
That mattered.
I looked at her.
She was resting.
Her fingers moved slightly against the blanket.
I placed my hand nearby.
I didn't need to hold her tightly.
I didn't need to move her.
I only needed to be close enough that she could feel my finger when she reached.
After a moment, her little hand closed around mine.
I looked at Kate.
Then at Ryan.
I couldn't promise either of them what the investigation would find.
I couldn't promise the family would return to the way it had been.
I couldn't promise Paige would be sent home with anyone in particular.
But I could promise myself something.
I would not confuse keeping the family together with keeping Paige safe.
I would not let my affection for Kate decide what I believed.
I would not accuse Ryan without evidence.
And I would not ignore the evidence simply because it made me uncomfortable.
I looked down at my niece.
She couldn't speak.
She couldn't explain her pain.
She couldn't tell the doctors who had held her or what happened before she came to my house.
All she could do was depend on the adults around her.
I remembered how she had screamed when I shifted my hand.
That sound was still with me.
It would probably stay with me for a long time.
But now I wanted to remember another sound too.
The quiet, steady breathing of a baby who was finally receiving care.
I leaned toward her.
"I'm still here, Paige."
Her fingers tightened faintly around mine.
I stayed beside her.
I didn't know what the next day would bring.
I only knew we couldn't go backward.
Not to the shopping trip.
Not to the explanation about teething.
Not to the moment when the bruise was hidden beneath makeup.
We had to keep moving toward the truth.
And whatever the truth turned out to be, Paige's safety had to come first.
Click here to continue reading: PART 17: The Doctors Finished Reviewing Paige’s Injuries, and a New Conversation With Kate Made Me Understand How Much She Had Been Afraid to Say
My Sister Left Her Six-Month-Old Daughter With Me That Saturday, and One Strange Thing She Said Kept Coming Back to Me
Part 16 of 20
