Airport Collision

Astrid's POV

  The wheels of my suitcase clicked against the airport floor as I made my way through the arrivals area. Dark sunglasses covered half my face, and my hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail. Five years away, and everything looked exactly the same, the shops, the announcements, even the scenery. 

  But I wasn't the same.

  The overweight, desperate girl who'd fled this place was gone. In her place stood someone completely different. I'd lost the extra weight through stress and survival, not choice. My face had changed too. It was sharper now, more defined. Even if someone from my past walked right by, they most likely wouldn't recognize me.

  I reached for my phone to check the pickup location when something small crashed into my legs.

"Mom!"

A little girl wrapped her arms around me, pressing her face to my stomach, trembling.

She couldn't be more than five, wearing a pink dress. Golden curls stuck to her forehead. And those blue eyes…my heart stopped.

I knew those eyes.

 "Sweetheart," I said softly, pushing my sunglasses up and bending down to her level. "What's your name? Are you lost?"

 She didn't answer. Instead, she stared at my face like she was memorizing every detail. Then she threw herself back into my arms, holding me like I was going to disappear if she let go.

 "It's okay," I whispered, rubbing her back in slow circles. "You're safe. I've got you."

  She pressed closer, her small hands gripping my shirt. 

  “Where were her parents?” I thought, "How on earth did she end up alone in an airport?”

 "Can you tell me your name?" I tried again. "We need to find your mommy and daddy."

   But before she could answer, I heard someone approach us. "There she is!" A man in a baseball cap said, reaching for the girl. "Come on, sweetie. Daddy's here." He said.

   But for some reason every instinct in my body screamed danger. So I twisted, pulling the child behind me.

"Step back," I said firmly.

 "That's my daughter," the man insisted, but his eyes kept darting toward the exit. "She ran off while I was getting our bags."

"Then we’ll verify with airport security," I said, noticing the girl trembling against me.

 "Look, lady, I don't have time for this." His voice turned aggressive. "Give me my kid."

 I stood my ground, “no." 

  Before I knew what was happening, the man lunged forward, trying to grab the girl. 

 Without thinking, I reached into my bag and pulled out a small container, something I now carry with me in case of situations like this. The powder hit his face before he could react.

 "My eyes!" He stumbled backward, clawing at his face. "You bitch!"

"Security!" someone shouted.

  And almost immediately, two guards appeared, restraining the man while he cursed and threatened to sue all of us. The girl still hadn't made a sound through any of it. Instead, she just held onto me tighter.

  "Ma'am, we need you to come with us," one guard said. "Both of you."

 In the security office, I sat and the girl insisted on sitting on my lap. She refused to let go, and honestly, I didn't want her to. The strange feeling of connection I felt towards her only grew stronger.

"Sweetheart," I said gently. "The nice officers need to know your name so they can call your parents. Can you tell us?"

 She lifted her head from my shoulder, studying my face again with those familiar blue eyes. Her little nose wrinkled as she thought.

"You won't leave me?" she whispered.

"Not until your real parents come," I promised.

She took a deep breath. "My name is Selene."

 The name hit me like a physical blow. Selene. The name I'd picked for my daughter before—

"And your last name?" the officer asked.

"Blackwood," she whispered. "My daddy is Darius Blackwood."

   The room spun. I gripped the chair to keep from falling. This couldn't be happening. This little girl, the one who felt so right in my arms, was Darius's daughter? But that meant…

    Oh my god!

  My mind raced back to that horrible day. They'd taken her away so fast, covered in blood. They said she needed immediate care. Darius had carried out her while they'd left me on that table.

 "How did you get here, Selene?" I asked, my voice coming out strangled.

 She looked down at her hands. "I was with my dad, then I decided to walk around…I didn't mean to go too far.

 "Where is your dad now?" the officer asked, and she shook her head.

 "And your mommy?" I asked, even though it felt like swallowing glass. "Where's she?"

 Selene's face crumpled. "Daddy says she traveled, so I haven't seen her.” Her small voice replied. 

  My chest tightened painfully, the air leaving my lungs like I'd been struck. Traveling? That was the lie he’d told her? My vision blurred for a second as the weight of it settled in.

"Can you call your daddy?" the officer asked.

 Selene shook her head. "I don't know his number. It's on my tablet, but Aunt Iris has it."

   They nodded and turned to continue searching, probably through their records to see if they would find anything related to the name she'd given them.

  While that was going on, I couldn't take my eyes off Selene, the way she spoke and the smile on her face when she said something that she thought was funny. The more I stared at her, the more curious I became.

   “If she was here, does that mean my other child was the one who was sick?” I felt fear grip me, "was she sick because of the early birth?” I thought.

    

   “Ma'am, we've managed to find a contact under the same name," One of the men helping Selene said. “He should be here anytime soon." 

  Before I could react, the door burst open. A familiar scent hit me, pine and winter storms. My body recognized him before my eyes did.

"Selene!"

  Darius stood in the doorway, powerful and terrifying. His dark eyes locked onto his daughter, then slowly traveled up to meet mine.

The world stopped.