Chapter 1: The Shadow of a Memory
The warmth of the summer sun seemed to freeze in an instant. Jax stood near the roaring fountain, his heart pounding against his ribs like a trapped bird. He stared at the small boy sitting on the cold stone edge—a boy with his daughter Lily’s exact hazel eyes, the same soft arch in his brows, and the same gentle tilt of the chin.
""What did you say?"" Jax asked, his voice barely a rasp. He dropped to both knees on the wet pavement, ignoring the water soaking through his trousers. He needed to be at eye level with this child.
The boy hugged the brown paper bag closer to his chest, his knuckles turning white. He wasn't afraid, just cautious—the way children learn to be when they've spent too much time waiting for adults who don't show up.
""My name is Leo,"" the boy whispered, looking up through soft brown fringe. ""My mom told me to sit here and eat my lunch. She said if I stayed right here, someone who looks like me would find me.""
Lily reached out and touched Leo’s green sleeve with a finger. ""He has your eyes, Daddy,"" she said innocently. ""Just like the picture in the hall.""
Jax felt a lump form in his throat. Five years ago, his wife, Clara, had gone missing during a sudden flash flood in the neighboring county. Rescue teams searched for weeks, but only her car was recovered near the riverbank. Jax had been left alone to raise baby Lily, holding onto a quiet grief that never fully faded. He had accepted that Clara was gone. But looking at Leo, a terrifying, beautiful possibility began to take root in his mind.
""Leo,"" Jax said softly, keeping his hands open and visible. ""What is your mother’s name?""
May you like
Leo opened the paper bag, pulled out an apple, and looked down. ""Clara,"" he murmured. ""Her name is Clara. But she gets confused sometimes. She forgets where we live.""
Jax’s vision blurred. The world around the fountain—the laughing tourists, the barking dogs, the bright blue sky—faded into background noise. Clara was alive. And she hadn't been alone.
