The Lion Kingis Noah’s favorite movie.
I just know he was banking on me hearing them, maybe even asking Agent Smith to make sure I heard them refer to me that way. He wanted me to feel safe even without his presence.
Unfortunately, hearing his fellow agent calling me Nala only gives me a shallow sense of security once I remember the slip of paper in my pocket.
Penelope.
She still has eyes and ears in the bureau.
I wait until we’ve started moving before I discreetly take the paper out.
There’s nowhereyou can hide where I won’t find you.
If you don’t want to see your family get hurt, you’ll do as I say.
Or watch as I kill them right before I kill you.
After three blocks,your car will be blocked for approximately fifteen seconds.
Use that time to escape.
There will be a gray suburban on the left side of the street.
Get in.
Let’s finish this.
-P
I still.My chest pinches and my vision spirals. I shut my eyes against the tidal wave of emotions threatening to push me further down an oblivion of anxiety and fear.
As long as Penelope is out there, my family will never be safe.
Shewillfind me.
She already did.
I open my eyes to glance down at Adrian sleeping peacefully on my chest. He’s grown even more in the past few months.
I’m going to miss so much of his life.
The realization that this may very well be the last time I see him or hold him has me choking up. My eyes burn from the unshed tears but I will them away.
I need to stay strong.
This is for Adrian. For Noah.
Their safety--theirlivesmean more to me than anything in this world.
I pull my son closer to me, breathing in the scent that’s solely his.
I whisper words of love to him, hoping he grows up to be as brave, loving, patient and dedicated as his daddy is. I know he’s still very young, but I hope he remembers me.
I hope he grows up knowing just how much I loved him and that he takes my love with him wherever he goes. I hope he never feels lonely or sad or alone in this world.
I trace his features, memorizing every detail and storing it so I can hold on to it when I need it.
I’m once again struck by how much he looks like his daddy.