Amalia Romano has been putting her heart back together, piece by piece after her high school boyfriend broke it four years ago, when he left the city with his mother and little sister.
Amalia thinks she'll never see him again until she does at...
I convince my dad to let me go with Archer to pick Enzo up. I smile the whole way there, and when it's two minutes until they're let out we get out the car and he holds onto me as we walk to his classroom door.
I wait outside anxiously. When the door opens and his teacher lets him out, my leg begins to bounce up and down from where I'm sitting in the outside seating area.
"Mama!" Enzo shouts as he rushes out. He runs over to me and wraps his little arms around me, jumping up onto my lap. The pain electrifying my body subsides as I hug my son; my light; my entire world.
"Hi, honey." I whisper. "Did you have a good day?"
"I made you a drawing, mama!"
"Really? Let's see." I say. He pulls it out of his pocket and passes it to me. I unfold it, smiling when I see it.
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"They're your flowers, mama!" He exclaims, leaning back on me. "You like it?"
"I love it!" I respond. I hug him again, kissing his chubby cheek. "Thank you, baby."
He grins up at me. I stand, setting him on the floor, and lean down to hold his hand. We're at the car when Archer realises he doesn't have his book bag.
"I'll go grab it." Archer says.
"Thanks." He kisses my cheek as I buckle Enzo into his car seat. I get into the passengers seat and talk to Enzo for a minute before the door opens again and Archer sits down.
"That was quick—"
I pause, because is isn't Archer who sits down.
It's Frankie.
I go to open the door, my mind spinning with six words: I need to get Enzo out. I need to get Enzo out. I need to get Enzo out.
He locks the door and leans forward. He reaches his hand out, revealing a purple cloth that he quickly shoves over my nose. I try to hit him away, but my body aches all over and I'm getting really, really tired..
"Mama!"
My son's agitated cry is the last thing I hear before I pass out.
•
I wake up unable to move my limbs, open my mouth or my eyes. I writhe, confusion flooding all my senses. What happened? Where am I?
Who am I?
I roll onto my stomach, whimpering softly at the pain in my head, and the rest of my body. I try to rip the binds around my wrists apart to no avail. I'm forced to roll around, squirming like a fish out of water until I hear a door open, followed by heavy footsteps.
