Mysterious Photo
I looked between the two of them, then up at Rowan.
“This is temporary,” I said.
He nodded. “Of course.”
“This doesn’t mean anything’s changed.”
His voice softened. “I know.”
Jo leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. “Can I ride in the car with the champagne cooler or is that reserved for the boss man?”
Rowan actually smiled. “That one’s yours.”
Laura squealed again. “Jo gets a shiny car too?!”
“We all do,” Larry said, nodding as if he’d made peace with it. “It’s a security upgrade.”
I looked at them—my kids—too smart, too observant for their age, and too young to understand the storm they were walking into.
They bounced around the living room as Jo packed the last of their backpacks.
And then Larry stopped and looked at me. Really looked.
“Mom?” he asked, his voice quieter now. “Why are we moving? For real?”
Laura, beside him, froze too. Her big eyes turned to me, confused.
And just like that, the room got heavy. Tense.
Rowan stood by the window, still and watchful.
I knelt down in front of them, placing a hand on each of their small backs.
“Because I want to keep you safe,” I said. “And right now, this is the best way to do that.”
“Is someone trying to hurt us?” Laura asked.
I smiled softly. “Not anymore. Because I’m doing everything I can to protect you.”
Larry looked at Rowan again. “And he’s going to help?”
“Yes,” I said. “He’s going to help.”
Neither of them spoke for a second.
Then Laura nodded. “Okay. But can we still bring Mr. Bear and my books?”
I kissed her forehead. “All of them.”
Larry took my hand. “And we’re coming back, right? This isn’t forever?”
I didn’t answer right away.
Because I didn’t know.
I looked up at Rowan.
And he was already watching me.
His expression was unreadable—somewhere between cautious hope and quiet guilt. He didn’t say anything, just gave the smallest nod, as if to say I’ll follow your lead.
I turned back to Larry, forcing a soft smile. “Of course we’re coming back,” I lied.
It slipped off my tongue easier than I expected. Larry nodded, satisfied, and let go of my hand like he trusted me with the whole world.
And maybe that was the worst part.
The packing continued in a blur of clothes, books, stuffed animals, and soft bickering between Jo and the twins. Boxes filled fast. Jo made a checklist on her phone while I kept bouncing between tasks, my mind somewhere else entirely.
By the time we got to the twins’ bedroom, the sun had almost vanished behind the rooftops.
I opened the door slowly, ready to grab the last of Laura’s dolls and the extra pillows tucked behind their bookshelf.
But something on the floor caught my eye.
Right at the threshold.
A photo.
Slipped under the door like a note.
I bent down slowly and picked it up.
It was old. Worn around the edges. And when I turned it over, my breath caught.
It was me.
Eight or nine, maybe. Sitting on a faded swing in a backyard I barely remembered. My braids were crooked. My smile was shy. There was a scraped bandage on my knee.
But I’d never seen this photo before. Not once. Not in any album. Not in any drawer.
I stared at it like it would start speaking. My fingers trembled.
How the hell did this get here?
“Remiiiiii!”
Jo’s voice called from downstairs, echoing through the hallway. “The circus is packed and ready to roll! Let’s move before Rowan starts handing out Rolexes!”
I quickly folded the photo and tucked it into my back pocket.
“I’m coming!” I called, voice slightly strained.
Jo appeared at the bottom of the stairs, keys dangling from her fingers and an arched eyebrow ready. “Don’t make me come up there. I know your stall voice.”
“I just need a minute,” I said. “You go with the kids first. I’ll follow.”
Jo frowned. “What? No. We’re leaving together.”
“I just… I need to check something. It’s nothing.”
She stepped up two stairs, suspicious now. “Remi.”
“Jo, please.” I gave her a small, weak smile. “It’s really fine. I’ll be right behind you.”
She opened her mouth, clearly ready to argue, but then she caught my eyes and whatever she saw there made her pause.
Her shoulders dropped.
“Okay. But five minutes. And if you disappear, I will turn this car around and drag you by your hair.”
“Deal.”
She nodded, turned, and called out, “Kids! Car now! Mommy’s stalling for dramatic effect!”
Their laughter followed her outside.
I waited until I heard the door shut, the engines starting. The sound of feet on gravel.
I didn’t move.
I just stood in the middle of the twins’ room, the folded photo like a secret against my spine. My heart thudded, fast and confused. This wasn’t a coincidence. Someone had been in the house. Slipped that photo under the door like a ghost whispering, I remember you.
But who?
And why now?
A knock at the front door cut through my spiraling thoughts.
I rushed down the stairs, shoved the photo deeper into my back pocket, and opened the door just enough to see Rowan standing there.
Of course.
His eyes skimmed over me. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” I said quickly. Too quickly. “I just needed to move my car.”
He tilted his head. “You have three guards outside. They can move it.”
“I’ll do it,” I replied, stepping out and forcing the door shut behind me.
He didn’t press. Just hummed. “Fine. Just… a guard will stay behind, alright? I don’t want you alone. Not even for a second.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
He hesitated, like he wanted to say something else, but then he stepped aside and let me pass. I forced a smile walking downstairs. He was watching me. I know he was.
I could feel it in my skin. I needed to know where this picture came from. And also one last check in the house.
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