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Chapter 2

Author: Stream
His words reminded me of the kids at Bright Haven.

They'd tug on my sleeve and ask if their parents left because they weren't good enough.

Then I remembered Finley's file.

When he was ten, his mother, Evelyn Floyd, got seriously sick. Before she died, she left home and told him they were playing hide-and-seek. He couldn't come looking for her until he turned eighteen.

After that, he was bounced from home to home, living under strangers' roofs and putting up with their cold stares.

In some ways, he'd had it worse than the kids at the orphanage.

I thought about how he'd stayed glued to my side these past few months, always so careful around me.

My chest tightened.

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

"Of course not. Mommy loves you more than anything."

Finley looked up, his whole face lighting up.

Then he seemed to remember something and dropped his gaze.

"But tell me..." he mumbled. "Are you really my mommy?"

Fifi floated over, wiggling its chubby body.

[Host, just say yes. He's had a rough life. He only wants a mother's love. Besides, winning him over doesn't have to be romantic. A mother's love is even stronger!]

It drifted closer and whispered in my ear.

[$8 million.]

I thought about the kids waiting for me at Bright Haven.

Then I looked at Finley's tear-streaked face.

I clenched my jaw, forced a stiff smile, and choked out the words.

"I am... your mommy."

Finley finally looked satisfied.

He nodded proudly, like he'd known it all along.

Wiped out, I headed back to the master bedroom.

I needed a hit of Finley's scent.

No clue why, but the second I smelled him, I instantly relaxed.

Before I could even catch my breath, someone knocked.

Finley peeked in, looking a little awkward.

"Mommy... can you run me a bath?"

My eyes went wide.

"Me?!"

That definitely wasn't part of the job before!

He dropped his gaze.

"Mommy always did it."

I took a deep breath and plastered on a smile.

"Okay. I'll do it."

His eyes instantly lit up.

If he had a tail, it'd be wagging like crazy.

But a few minutes later, he came rushing back.

"Mommy! Where are my little rubber ducks?!"

He waved both hands frantically.

"There are three! Two big ones and one little one. The little one goes in the middle. They're a family!"

Seriously?

Fifi helpfully chimed in.

[The rubber ducks represent his family. His mom used them to get him to take baths when he was little.]

I went quiet.

Finley's lips drooped, and his eyes started turning red again.

"Did the little ducks leave me too?"

"Don't cry. Don't cry!"

I jumped up, grabbed my phone, and immediately ordered new ones.

"The little ducks went swimming. They'll be back soon."

I used every trick I'd learned from comforting the kids at Bright Haven.

When Finley finally left, I collapsed onto the bed and stared at the ceiling, one hand pressed to my chest.

It hurt.

"Fifi... Finley really needs someone to love him."

Even more than the kids at Bright Haven.

[Yeah. He's not a bad kid. Everyone who ever loved him just... left.]

Fifi's soft voice drifted through the room, strangely sad.

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  • My Mission Target Calls Me Mommy   Chapter 10

    As the car pulled away, I watched Finley shrink into the distance.My smile vanished.Something had felt off ever since he cut Kenny off.Everything he did today felt like a goodbye.He was sending me away.He planned to face Tariel alone.I looked at the unusually quiet Fifi."Fifi, who are you really? Or more importantly... who's the other soul inside you?"My voice dropped."It's Finley's mother, Evelyn... isn't it?"Fifi closed its eyes.When they opened again, everything about it had changed.It was calm, composed, and carried a warmth I recognized.Its childish voice became a gentle woman's."Amelia... you're very observant.""It wasn't that hard to figure out." I smiled. "Fifi always calls me 'Host.' You're the only one who calls me Amelia. And... you care way too much about Finley."My expression turned serious."I don't know if you've reunited with him yet. But we both know the truth.""Without me, he can't win."Evelyn's face fell.She let out a quiet sigh

  • My Mission Target Calls Me Mommy   Chapter 9

    The next morning, Finley wrapped his arms around me from behind and kissed my ear."What's wrong?"I handed him the package in my hands, my face drained of color."It showed up this morning."Finley flipped through the booklet.The temperature in the room seemed to drop.The drawings were horrifyingly lifelike.In the first, we were devoured by wild dogs that had been starved for five days.In the second, we were reduced to begging on the street before getting run over.In the third, we were burned to death in a raging fire.Every page showed another way Tariel had killed us."Tariel's declaring war."I gently rubbed Finley's pale fingertips and forced a playful smile."Come on. We're only human. After everything we've survived, the fact that we're still sane is kind of impressive."I stepped back, threw both hands over my head, and struck a full-on Power Ranger pose."Remember, Masked Hero?"During my third month at Bright Haven, a new boy showed up.His hair was so l

  • My Mission Target Calls Me Mommy   Chapter 8

    "Go on."I folded my arms and stared at the two men across from me."After our ninth death, the World's Will pulled us into a shared consciousness."Finley's vulnerability vanished, replaced by his usual calm."This world is a novel that only recently broke free from its author and started running on its own. That means the World's Will is still weak."He met my eyes."You and I were the male and female leads."His gaze dropped, and his voice softened."So fate was always pulling us together."My eyes flickered.Finley's expression turned cold."Tariel used some kind of unnatural power to steal my role and take the world's favor for himself.""Unnatural power?"I frowned.He walked over, pinched my shoulder, and a chubby little figure suddenly popped into his hand."Something like this. Just a lot stronger."I stared at him."You can see it?!"Fifi looked just as horrified and let out a shriek.[Bug detected!]Finley brushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear and

  • My Mission Target Calls Me Mommy   Chapter 7

    "I'm sorry about everything before!"I tapped my phone and shoved the photo in his face."But you can't keep lying to me when you already like someone else!"Finley frowned at the screen.Bitterness surged through me, followed by a sharp ache I couldn't explain.My eyes burned.He panicked and pulled me into his arms.Wiping away my tears, he said, "Amelia, it's not what you think."Then he pulled out his phone and called someone on speaker."Come over. Now."The person on the other end sounded shocked."Isn't this earlier than we planned?!"Ten minutes later, a flustered blonde woman rushed in with only one shoe.Without a word, Finley ripped off the blonde wig and turned to me."Amelia, he's a guy. You're the only one I love!"The "woman" clutched his own head in embarrassment."Amelia, it's me—Kenny Chadwick!"Kenny Chadwick?Why did that name sound so familiar?Fifi finally stopped playing dead and shrieked in my ear.[Isn't Kenny Chadwick the second male lead—a

  • My Mission Target Calls Me Mommy   Chapter 6

    "Babe!"I froze.The wronged-looking man clung to me, his head pressed against my stomach, and my mind went blank.I sucked in a breath and gritted my teeth."Fifi, didn't you say he'd be back to normal? What is this?!"Fifi guiltily avoided my eyes.[There was probably some randomness involved. But I wouldn't call it a total failure. At least he's not calling you Mom anymore. To everyone else, "Babe" sounds way more normal.]My temples throbbed as Fifi's voice got quieter and quieter."Mrs.—Miss Ainslie." Peter cleared his throat and pulled me aside. "Mr. Floyd hit his head in the crash. The doctor said his memory is temporarily messed up, and his perception is a little off. Other than that, he's fine. But he can't handle any emotional stress right now."Out of Finley's sight, Peter gave me a desperate look and mouthed, 'Please. Just go with it.'Then I turned back and met Finley's damp, pleading eyes.My heart melted instantly.I could never say no to him.I gently touch

  • My Mission Target Calls Me Mommy   Chapter 5

    I thought I'd messed up and rushed to comfort him.Instead, he threw his arms around me, his voice thick with emotion and pure joy."Mommy, you remembered? You found me in a doghouse."He raced upstairs.When he came back, he was carrying a tiny pet bed from who knew where.It had been carefully preserved, complete with a soft little blanket.He held it out like treasure."Mommy, look. This is the bed. I've kept it safe all these years."Then he clasped his hands and looked at me hopefully."Mommy, can you tell me the story again? The one about how you picked me out of all the little puppies?"I stared into space.Finley's excited voice faded into the background.All I could see was the twenty years of pain he'd survived.The Floyds were powerful—and ruled by brutal traditions.His parents, Raphael and Evelyn, had run away together and had him.Finley spent the happiest five years of his life in Southvale.Later, while they were running from the people chasing them, Rap

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