Katie's Hellion

"For your son, maybe."

"He's not my son."

The officer stared at her then held up an ID card with the boy's picture.

Toby Young.

"It must be some other Young," she insisted. "I don't have a son."

"I oughta call child services on a wack job like you," he muttered.

"Go ahead --call them!" she snapped.

"Parenthood is a responsibility that no one should take likely! I don't care how…"

She listened to his rant, peppered with language no kid Toby's age should hear. Officer David waved a piece of paper in her face depicting Toby's ID. Toby was quiet, and she snatched the paper, intent on showing him their addresses were different.

Only they weren't different. Toby's address was listed as hers. She set the paper on her lap and stared at it. She'd lived there for four years --almost as long as the kid had been alive.

"I don't understand…" she muttered.

"Your record is full of bullshit," Officer David said acidly. "Reckless endangerment? And now child endangerment? You're going to court. You damn well better have a good lawyer, because…"

She sucked in a breath and turned to the kid.

"Toby, kid, whatever. Tell this nice man the truth," she said, meeting the twinkling brown eyes.

The kid was adorable, with dark eyes and hair, sun-kissed skin, and a round face. He was well fed, though clothed like he'd been going to make mud pies and not to school like he should have been. He smiled.

"Toby, is this your mommy?" Officer David said in tones as sweet as they were bitter toward her.

Toby nodded. Katie's mouth dropped open, and she began to realize something was very, very wrong. This was a dream; she'd fallen asleep on the train and not yet woken up. With any luck, the worst part of her day would be missing her stop.

Toby took her hand. His soft hand was cold. The sensations assured her the surreal situation was really happening.

"Officer David --" she began in earnest.

"Enough!" he roared loudly enough to make them both jump. "I've had enough with deadbeat…"

He ranted, signed her papers with a vicious flourish, then shoved them at her and manhandled her out his door. She stood in the hallway, staring at the door slammed in her face, holding a fistful of papers she didn't know what to do with.

"The car will pick you up."