Damian smiled while walking the whole way home from shopping as he held the candy in his hand. As she took the child’s coat off, Rowena gently instructed

“Why don’t you go and have a bath first?”

“Yes! What about you, mother?”

“I’m going in too.”

Nodding, Damian went into the bathroom first. Rowena also took off her coat and put it on a hanger, when something fell out of her pocket. With a dubious look on her face, she picked up the note and saw that it had some words that had been written in a hurry.

[Dear Mrs. Rebecca,

This is Philip McWood. I’m sure you are surprised by this unexpected letter.

I can’t tell you much, but someone’s been pursuing you. They’re watching the area surrounding you.

Please take care of yourself.]

A tingle went up her spine.

‘I’m being chased.’

As if time had stopped, the frozen Rowena gasped for air. The other day, she had put it away as a ridiculous idea.

Dr. Phillip was not the kind of person who would lie about something like this, and he had no reason to do so either.

‘Could it be him? Why on earth? After all this time …….’

Everything was getting mixed up in her head. At the same time, the word ‘surrounding’ brought up three familiar faces.

Harriot, Lawrence, and Rosaline.

When she didn’t follow him after a few moments, Damian opened the bathroom door.

“Mother.”

“Damian. Put your clothes on again. Now!”

“Why?”

“It’s urgent. I beg you.”

With a serious look on her face, she asked him again, and he quickly changed his clothes without asking any further questions. Squeezing the child’s hand, Rowena knocked on the door of the next room. A neighbour, who happened to be home, opened the door.

“Rebecca?”

“Philomena. I’m so sorry, but I only have a slight favor to ask.”

“What kind of favor?”

The neighbour rolled her eyes at Rowena’s outburst.

Rowena looked haunted, as if she’d seen a ghost.

“Is something wrong?”

“Can you take care of my son for a minute? Please, I’ll be right back …”

With desperate eyes, Rowena grabbed her neighbour’s hand. There was no trace of her normally reserved and shy appearance, she looked as if she had been hurriedly chased, the neighbour didn’t have any choice but to nod.

“Yeah, well, it’s not that hard.”

“Mom? Where are you going? Without me?”

“Damian. Stay here. I need you to stay here and listen to me. Do you understand me?”

“Where are you going?”

The young boy was confused and grabbed the hem of Rowena’s skirt, looking almost as if he was about to cry.

“I’m going to Aunt Harriet’s place.”

“Do you have to go right now?”

“Will you return right away?”

“Of course. Don’t worry.”

Rowena asked while placing a kiss on his forehead.

“You must stay here quietly. I’ll be right back. Do you understand?”

“I understand.”

“Good boy. My son.”

Rowena looked at her son with an affectionate eye, for she had given birth to him after a very difficult delivery.

Unlike before, when she had nothing to protect, now she had many things to protect by any means necessary. Among them, Damian was her treasure and an existence that nothing in the world could replace.

****