Chapter 3

"La-la-la, I'm Mommy and Daddy's precious little kid..."

After my shower, I headed downstairs.

Finley sat cross-legged on the floor in his pajamas, watching cartoons.

I picked up the glass of milk he'd left for me on the coffee table.

Still warm.

Sweet, just how I liked it.

Warmth spread through my chest.

Then I noticed the little cowlick bouncing on top of Finley's head.

My fingers twitched.

Too cute.

It bobbed every time he moved.

So fluffy.

I couldn't take it anymore.

Putting on my sweetest evil-witch voice, I said, "Finley, let me do your hair. I'm really good at it."

His eyes had been glued to me since I came downstairs.

He nodded and ducked his head into my hands.

"Okay!"

The second my palm touched his hair, I gave it a good ruffle.

Finley squinted, totally content.

Goosebumps raced over my skin.

This felt way too good.

Truth was, I had a serious weakness for fluffy things.

I'd petted every cat and dog in the neighborhood.

I grabbed two hair ties and twisted his hair into tiny horn buns.

He looked up at me.

Those innocent eyes saw no one else.

My heart skipped.

It felt weirdly familiar.

"Mommy?"

I blinked and lifted my phone.

"Come on. Picture time."

The second I snapped it, Finley leaned in and kissed my cheek.

Then he smiled so brightly, his eyes curved into crescents.

My eyes flew wide.

Heat rushed to my face as I grabbed my cheek.

"What was that for?!"

Finley looked confused.

"Mommy always said we kiss for pictures."

He leaned closer, pointed to his cheek, and pouted.

"Mommy, my turn."

A blurry, deep voice echoed in my head.

"Amelia... I want a kiss too."

Before I knew it, I leaned in and kissed his cheek.

The second I snapped out of it, I ran straight to my room and dove under the blankets.

My first kiss...

[Host, a cheek kiss doesn't count—]

"Zip it!"

***

Cold sweat covered my forehead in the middle of the night.

"No... don't go..." I whimpered through tears.

In my dream, a man covered in blood smiled at me.

"Live well. Don't be scared. I'm not leaving."

The gentle voice pulled me awake.

I threw my arms around the person in front of me and burst into tears.

"Don't leave me again!"

Finley hugged me tight.

"I won't."

Once I finally calmed down, I took a shaky breath.

"Why are you here?"

Finley sat with his hands neatly on his knees.

"I wanted to sleep with Mommy."

The dream left me rattled.

Instinct drowned out common sense, and leaning on him felt completely natural.

By the time I realized it, he was already beside me, holding me in his arms.

A rush of happiness hit me so hard that it shook me to my core.

I stared into the dark.

Who was the man in my dream?

And why did Finley's latest memory reset feel so different?

I must've drifted off, because soft sobbing woke me again.

Finley was curled against me, gripping my sleeve.

"Don't go..."

The pain in his voice made my chest ache.

I took his hand.

He instantly held on tighter.

I gently patted his back.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here."

That was all it took.

He completely fell apart, sobbing until the pillow beneath him was soaked.

Like he was finally letting out years of pain.

Like a lost kid who'd finally found his way home.

Hearing him cry made my chest ache too.

For the past two months, he'd done everything he could for me.

He took me shopping at designer stores and packed my closet with clothes.

He even suffered through my awful cooking, ended up in the hospital because of it, and still smiled.

"Mommy's cooking is the best."

Every day, he followed me around like a happy puppy.

Even if he was only nice to me because he thought I was his mom...

Besides the director and the kids at Bright Haven, he was the first person who'd ever treated me kindly.

People had always looked down on me for being an orphan.

At school, I was shut out.

At work, I was ignored.

All I ever got was judgment.

But Finley...

He had so much love to give.

And somehow, he found the softest part of me.

I kissed his forehead, then stretched my numb arm to pat his back.

"Don't cry. I'm right here."

Little by little, his sobs faded.

Safe in my arms, Finley finally fell asleep.