LILY
It was late afternoon by the time Katerine and I returned home. As she opened the door, my phone rang. I checked to see who was calling. It was an unregistered number, so I didn’t answer right away because I didn’t want Katerine to hear. I placed our purchases in the kitchen. The phone rang again.
“It might be important. Go ahead and answer it—I’ll handle things here,” Katerine said, holding my arm.
I went to my room to answer the call. Before picking up, I noticed a message had come in:
Unknown Number: Princess, this is your Mommy. Call me when you’re not busy. I miss my princess.
“Mommy.”
I quickly dialed her number, and she answered after just one ring.
“Mommy,” I cried.
“My child, how are you? I miss you so much. I just want to hug you.”
I felt my chest tighten.
I couldn’t bear hearing Mommy cry over the phone. It had been months since I last saw her. If she missed me, I missed her even more. I turned on the phone’s camera.
“Mommy,” I said, tearfully, as I faced the camera.
“Sweetheart, I’ve been so worried about you. Thankfully, your friend gave me your number. I’m at her house now.”
I froze at what Mommy said—she was at Violet’s house.
“How did you find Violet’s house?” I asked her.
I couldn’t sit still. My heart was racing, and questions filled my mind. Why didn’t Violet tell me that Mommy was at her house?
I felt like something was off about Mommy’s sudden visit. I hoped what I feared wouldn’t happen.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. Grandpa Williams and your father don’t know I’m here. I just wanted to see you and know how you’re doing,” Mommy said.
“I’m fine, Mommy. Don’t worry about me—I’m in good hands.”
“My child, I miss you so much. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to tell me. Please let me know if you’re struggling or if you need money. I’ll send it to you.”
“Thank you, Mommy. Even if I needed money, I wouldn’t be able to get it without an ID. But if you want to send me something, you can give it to Violet, and she’ll make sure I receive it. Mommy, I have one request—if you come back to Violet’s house, could you bring my passport and other valid IDs?”
Mommy nodded repeatedly during our video call. I held back my tears because I didn’t want her to see me cry. After our conversation, I finally let out the tears I had been holding back.
After a deep breath, I felt calmer and more at ease. I opened my phone and checked my inbox. Earlier, I had read Mommy’s message first, but now I saw Violet had also messaged me.
I couldn’t believe what I read—Mommy wasn’t the only one at Violet’s house; Grandpa Williams was there too. It meant the call was a setup to trace where I was.
Violet: Lily, you need to leave immediately because Grandpa could arrive at any time. I’m sorry. Grandpa threatened to get me your number. Please, Lily, leave now. Don’t worry about Katerine—I’ll handle explaining things to her.
Me: I’m sorry, Violet, that you’re getting dragged into my situation.
Violet: I can’t call you right now because Grandpa’s men are here. Once they leave, I’ll call. Please, Lily, leave now. Go, Lily, go.
