As I stepped out of the neighborhood, I passed by a small park where a group of children were playing.
One little boy, in the middle of a game of chase with his friends, accidentally crashed into my knee.
"Ah!" the boy cried out in pain. He stumbled and fell to the ground.
A woman, who had been sitting nearby, immediately rushed over.
I was about to explain that it had just been an accident, that the child had tripped on his own, but her expression shifted from anger to something warmer when she saw who I was.
"Ross, is that you? I didn't recognize you from so far away!" she exclaimed with a smile, as she helped the child up.
Hearing her call my name, instantly, I recalled who she was.
"Josephine Wells? Your son's all grown up now!"
I was genuinely delighted to run into an old high school classmate after all these years. At first, I hadn't recognized her either.
As I spoke, I instinctively reached down to pick up her son, but when I looked at the boy's face more closely, I froze.
The child bore a striking resemblance to Finn. A jolt of recognition ran through me—could it be? No, he had been too young before. He must have just grown into a look-alike.
"What's wrong?" she asked, noticing my hesitation.
"It's nothing," I replied quickly, forcing a casual tone. "I just… didn't see his father around. Where's he?"
Her answer came out curt, clearly reluctant to answer my question. "He's at home, doing fine."
The topic seemed to make her uncomfortable, so I decided to let it go.
"Mommy, mommy, I'm hungry!" the boy tugged at her sleeve, whining.
Without thinking, I scooped him up into my arms. "Alright, let's go. I'm hungry too. Let's have something delicious!"
"Thank you, Mister! Yay!" he cheered.
We headed to a family-style restaurant and ordered a few dishes that I knew kids loved.
I was enjoying the meal, laughing at the child's endless chatter, and even having a little beer. The atmosphere was light, and I was genuinely happy.
As we were finishing up, the boy suddenly looked up at me and said, "Thank you, Mister. This is the best meal I've ever had."
His words caught me off guard, and I felt a warm twinge in my chest.
I smiled at him, but a wave of questions lingered in my mind.
I pushed them away—this was none of my business. People's personal lives were theirs to manage, and I had no right to pry as an outsider.
I gently took his hand, placing it in mine. "If you ever want to eat with me again, just come find me."
He nodded eagerly, his face lighting up.
Josephine stroked his head affectionately, then turned to me with a smile and said, "Thank you."
Just as I turned to leave, Lily's call came through. I didn't answer it.
I swiped the call away, about to say my goodbyes to Josephine, when the wind lifted her skirt, and I noticed a dark bruise on her calf.
It was still summer, but she was wearing long sleeves. She was clearly trying to hide signs of domestic abuse.
She noticed that I'd seen it, and instinctively pressed down on her skirt to cover the bruise.
I stepped closer, grabbing her hand and pulling up her sleeve. What I saw made my blood run cold—her arm was covered in bruises, and there were burn marks, as if from a cigarette.
She jerked her arm away quickly, her voice stumbling as she mumbled, "I'm fine."
Without saying another word, I pulled out my phone and transferred five hundred dollars to her via the payment code she showed me.
She looked up at me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, but she didn't say anything.
I knew this was her battle, not mine. And as much as I wanted to intervene, I couldn't force her to confront what was happening. It was up to her to handle.
I thought about my own life—how I had once believed that as long as I loved my wife with all my heart, everything would be fine.
But now, I saw the truth: loving her wasn't enough. I had to love everything about her—her family, her troubles, even her brother.
I gave her shoulder a gentle pat, then turned to leave, but not before reminding her, "Call the police, alright?"
