Chapter One- Echoes Of The Past

Lily Reynolds Thompson 

Being a single mom might be the hardest decision I’ve made in my life. Bearing others’ prejudice and criticism was one part, raising my baby all by myself was another. But I never regretted it. My six-year-old baby girl, Isabella was the most precious gift I was blessed with. Every time when I got off the heavy double jobs I had been doing to keep us afloat and returned home, my angel’s sweet smile was my biggest consolation. 

Yet sometimes, she would be way too sweet. When she noticed that sometimes I would feel lonely, she insisted on playing matchmaker and getting me a husband, she thought it was that easy and it made me laugh at how innocent she was. When she found someone attractive on the street, she would pretend to be lost and ask for his help to send her home. As she said, it was the most convenient way to set me up with a kind-hearted and charming man. 

Well, she did have a point. 

Whenever she brought someone home, on a good day, I would just thank the man for bringing her safely and  offer him dinner and other days I would just dismiss them. But today was different. 

It was a typical evening, the sun setting behind the city skyline as I made my way home from another exhausting day at work. The hum of traffic filled the air, and I could feel the weight of the day lifting from my shoulders with each step. As I approached our small apartment building, I couldn't help but smile at the thought of seeing my daughter's face light up and the hug I’ll receive when I walked in 

But as I reached the front steps, I heard her voice, bubbly and excited, coming from the porch. Curious, I quickened my pace, wondering who she could be talking to. Maybe a neighbor passing by? Or perhaps one of her imaginary friends. 

Pushing open the creaky gate, I stepped onto the porch and froze in my tracks. There, standing before her, was a man. His back was turned to me, but even from a distance, I could sense a familiarity about him that sent a shiver down my spine. 

My daughter turned to me, her eyes bright with excitement. "Mommy, look! I found someone to help me!" she exclaimed, trying to wink at me, her voice filled with pure innocence. 

I took a hesitant step forward, my heart pounding in my chest as I prayed that my eyes were deceiving me. But when the man turned to face me, his gaze locking with mine, I knew that there was no mistaking it. 

It was him. 

The man from my past, the one I had tried so hard to forget but could never quite erase from my memory. 

His eyes met mine, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still as the weight of years of silence hung heavy in the air between us. 

I struggled to find my voice, my mind racing with a thousand questions and emotions that threatened to overwhelm me. But before I could say anything, my daughter spoke up again, her voice pulling me back to the present. 

"Mommy, I got you a husband, for real this time!" she whispered, her words echoing in the silence.