(Aya’s POV)“When I grow up, I want to be a doctor,” Myra said with determination while we ate dinner.“Did you hear that, Dean?” Mom smiled and glanced at dad. “We’re going to have a doctor in our family,” she muttered excitedly and turned to me. “How about my little girl? What do you want when you grow up?”I giggled. “I don’t want to grow up, mommy. I just want to stay with you... and daddy... and Myra. Forever and ever!”“Amen to that,” Dad laughed, shaking his head as he placed green beans on my plate. “Even if you don’t want to grow up, you still have to eat vegetables.”“Geez, Aya! You must have a dream.” My older sister rolled her eyes at me. “You can’t stay with mom and dad forever.”“Myra, your sister’s only seven,” Mom reminded her as she smiled lovingly at me. She reached for my hand and squeezed it.“Aya...” She squeezed my hand again. “Aya, it’s time.”“Hmm?” Disoriented, I opened my eyes, seeing Addie before me, squeezing my hand. I sighed, realizing I had fallen asleep

(Aya’s POV)I turned off my cell phone and leaned on the seat’s backrest, closing my eyes for a few minutes. I opened my eyes when we were near the bus terminal. I turned to Katie when she opened her eyes, blinking and looking around the car. She only closed her eyes again and went back to sleep when she saw me beside her.“Hi, I’m Aya,” I cocked my head to the side, introducing my name to the driver.“Bert.” He glanced at the rearview mirror and smiled softly. “I’m sorry, but my beautiful boss gave me specific orders. Pick you up. Give you that duffle bag. Take you to the airport. Make sure you ride the plane. Go home. No talking, especially asking.”I chuckled, shaking my head. “Thank you, Bert, but that was not the plan. I’m sorry.”“Huh?” He looked ahead, but the knitting in his brows told me he was confused. “Yeah,” I faked a smile. “She must have misunderstood me. It should be... Umm... Pick me up. Give me the duffle bag. Drop me at the nearest bus station. Go home. No talking

(Aya’s POV)“Mommyyyy!!!”In my dream, Katie was screaming because Myra was dragging her out of our house. When I opened my eyes, I realized it was not a dream. She was seated beside me, screaming terrifyingly as the shadow entered the door. My heartbeat was as deafening as my daughter’s cry.Then the living room brightened when the shadow switched on the light.Only then Katie stopped screaming.“Aya?” The older man asked, squinting his eyes as he tried to recognize me. “Mariel Aida Sophia?”I blinked, adjusting my eyes to the suddenly well-lit living room. My forehead creased, thinking about where I met him, but my heart was still panicking, and Katie, still trembling, snuggled closer to me.“I think you owe me a cup noodles?” He smiled, reminding me where we had met.I gasped, raising my index finger and scanning my tired brain for his name.“Marco!” I beamed, my eyes sparkling as I remembered. “Hey, baby. Don’t be scared. He’s a friend,” I said, smiling at my daughter to assure he

(Red’s POV)“Red, why don’t you go home first?” Addie looked at me worriedly.Addie was right that I should have gone home and checked on my family first, but Violet threatened me, telling me she would ask my parents to pick them up from home and bring them abroad if I would not give them any news about their Mommy Aya. My children were heartbroken when Scarlett did not let them leave home to see their Grandpa Dean for the last time. I had no idea why Scarlett would stop my kids from seeing Dean when Violet and Green begged, telling her how close they were to him even if he was not their real grandfather. The last time I talked to her was when Liam, Mike, and I went with Aya to St. Agatha, but after that, I had not spoken to her again because she was either with her therapist or with Sherrilyn. “I’ll go home if you give me some good news I could tell my kids,” I sighed.“It’s like we’re missing something here,” Mike squinted his eyes, looking at his tablet and sighing as he thought.

(Aya’s POV)“Aya, you saved me!”Gracie sighed, relieved, as she walked toward their restaurant’s kitchen and stood before the table to see the round birthday cake. She looked admiringly at it for a couple of minutes before she stepped beside me and watched me place icing and sprinkles on top of the cupcakes.“We have one skilled and talented pastry baker under our nose,” Ofelia smiled, glancing at her daughter before she continued counting the plates she took from the cabinet. “Tell your brothers to come home already, and I’ll let Aya choose from one of them,” she joked.Ofelia sucked in her lips when Katie raised her head and shot an eyebrow at her. It was only for a second, and then she returned her attention to the cupcakes she lined up before her. Gracie turned her head to me, narrowing her eyes and pursing her lips.“You look familiar. Have we met before?” She tilted her head as she asked me. Katie and I had been here for two weeks, but this was our first time seeing each other.