Chapter 2 - The Ghost in the Alley
The pavement scraped against Eleanor’s bare knees, but she didn’t feel the pain. She couldn’t feel anything except the violent, thundering beat of her own heart.
Five years. Five agonizing years of empty bedrooms, false leads, and crying until her vision blurred. They had told her he was gone. They had told her to move on.
Yet here he was.
"Julian?" her voice cracked, barely more than a breathless wheeze.
The boy—thin, fragile, and trembling—clutched the half-eaten sandwich against his chest. His wide blue eyes darted from Eleanor to the little girl in the white coat. He took a tiny step back, pressing his thin shoulders against the cold brick wall.
"Julian, it’s me," Eleanor whispered, tears spilling over her eyelashes, cutting trails through her immaculate makeup. She reached out a trembling hand but stopped inches from his face, terrified that if she touched him, he would shatter like glass. "It’s Mommy."
Lily, the little girl, tugged at Eleanor’s coat. "Mommy? Is that… is that the boy from the picture on the mantel?"
Julian’s breath hitched. He looked at the woman’s expensive trench coat, her diamond rings, and then up at her eyes. The same eyes he saw when he looked in muddy puddles after the rain.
"You… you didn't come," Julian whispered, his voice raspy from disuse. "The man said you didn't want me anymore."
Eleanor felt a cold dread wash over her. The man.
"No, no, baby," Eleanor sobbed, finally wrapping her arms around his fragile frame. He smelled of rain, dirt, and old exhaust fumes, but to her, it was the scent of a miracle. "I never stopped looking for you. Never."
As she pulled him tight against her chest, a black luxury sedan pulled up to the mouth of the alley. The driver’s door opened, and a tall, impeccably dressed man stepped out. It was Richard, Eleanor’s new husband—the man who had helped her "rebuild" her life after Julian’s disappearance.
"Eleanor! What are you doing in the dirt?" Richard called out, his voice laced with annoyance.
May you like
But as Richard stepped into the dim light of the alley and his eyes locked onto the boy in Eleanor’s arms, the color completely drained from his face.
Julian peeked over Eleanor’s shoulder. The moment the boy saw Richard, a violent shudder ripped through his tiny body, and he squeezed his eyes shut in pure terror.
