Chapter 2: The Woman in the Rain
Across the street, Anna was driving home from her night shift at the hospital when the rain became too heavy. She decided to pull over and wait.
As she parked, she noticed a small figure curled up under the bus stop. A child. Alone.
Something in her chest tightened.
She grabbed her umbrella and got out of the car. As she got closer, she slowed down.
The little girl had long dark hair… and something about her felt painfully familiar.
“Sweetheart?” Anna called out gently. “Are you lost? Where are your parents?”
The little girl slowly lifted her head.
Anna’s breath caught in her throat.
Those eyes.
Those were her eyes.
“…Lily?”
The girl blinked, confused and scared.
“How do you know my name?”
Anna’s hands started trembling. She slowly knelt down in front of the little girl, her voice shaking.
“Because I’m your mother.”
Lily stared at her for a long moment. Then, with shaking hands, she opened her wet backpack and pulled out an old, crumpled photo. It was a picture of a younger Anna holding a baby Lily.
Anna covered her mouth as tears filled her eyes.
“I’ve been looking for you for six years,” she whispered. “After your father took you away from me… I searched everywhere. I never stopped.”
Lily’s lips trembled.
“You… you looked for me?”
Anna nodded, tears falling down her face.
“Every single day, baby. I never stopped.”
Without another word, Lily dropped her backpack and threw herself into Anna’s arms. Anna caught her and held her tightly, crying into her wet hair.
“I’m so sorry,” Anna sobbed. “I’m so sorry it took me this long to find you. But I’m here now. I promise I’m never leaving you again.”
Lily buried her face in her mother’s neck and cried harder than she ever had before.
For the first time in years, she finally felt safe.
May you like
Anna gently stroked her daughter’s wet hair and whispered,
“Come on, baby. Let’s go home.”
