Page 14 of Silent Echo
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
T ell me the story again about how a bad mommy took care of me until you saved me and became my new mommy.” Sebastion looks at me with those big blue eyes, and my heart melts.
“I knew I should be your mommy from the first time I met you. Your birth mommy wasn’t a nice mommy.
She didn’t have time to play with you and made you go to school when you didn’t feel good.
She got tired of you and left you. I was so happy when I was able to rescue you.
You were so happy too. Now we play together all the time, and nothing is more important to me than you. ”
“And you’ll never leave me, right?”
I push a golden curl from his forehead. “Never.”
“How come I don’t get on the school bus like the other kids on the street?”
I smile at him. “Because you’re lucky. You get to stay home and be homeschooled. You know I used to be a teacher at a school. But I’d much rather stay home and teach you.”
He yawns, and his eyes close. “I love you, Mommy,” he mumbles as he drifts off to sleep, and I lean over to kiss his cheek. I wait a few minutes to make sure he’s asleep before I slip from the room.
When I go downstairs, I see a message on my phone. It’s from Rebecca.
Call me. I’m sorry but Sofi posted a picture from the party. I think the woman you’re hiding from saw it.
My stomach drops, and I call her right away. “What’s going on?”
“I’m so sorry, Cathy. Sofi didn’t know and tagged the bookstore with a photo of the kids at Daniel’s birthday party.
Sebastion’s birth mother called the store to try and get my information, but fortunately, Edith didn’t give it to her.
But then I got a Facebook message from a Charlotte Fleming.
It’s from a few days ago. I’m not on Facebook every day, so I just saw it.
Her message said that her son was kidnapped.
Is Charlotte her name? Sebastion’s mom who lost custody? ”
I could kill Sofi. I’ve been so careful. I’ve limited our social circle to a few other homeschool families. I never let anyone take Sebastion’s picture. And in an instant, that moron, Sofi, has undone it all. “Yes, that’s her. I need to think. Don’t answer her message yet. I’ll call you back.”
“Okay. And again, I’m so sorry. I should have briefed Sofi on the situation. I wasn’t thinking with all the hustle and bustle that day.”
“It’s not your fault,” I say, even though I’m equally as pissed at her. Why did she have to invite an outsider to the party? “Okay, I’ll call you back shortly.” I run to my bedroom and start packing. There’s no option. We have to leave.