Oliver’s POV

Yesterday, Dad said I wasn’t “acting like a Sterling” again. Just because I drew a crooked cat at the design exhibition, his face instantly darkened like someone had spilled ink all over it. “Oliver, enough with these childish antics,” he said coldly before walking away without even looking at me. My heart cracked into tiny pieces.

That night, I slipped out of the house during the downpour, getting soaked like a lost puppy. But I didn’t mind at all! I finally had a chance to look for Mommy, and I was sure I’d be the first to find her. Even though I caught a fever, it was the happiest fever I’ve ever had.

The feeling of her hand on my forehead was more magical than anything in the world. She worried so much her eyebrows scrunched together as she gave me medicine and cooled me down with a damp cloth. Dad never takes care of us like that—he just calls the housekeeper or nanny. Mommy’s hugs were like soft clouds, making me feel warm all over.

Now I’m bouncing around the apartment like a rubber ball! All because of her magical care! So this is what having a mommy feels like—like the whole world turns into colorful balloons floating you anywhere you want to go. I never want to go back to that big house without Mommy. Never ever!

Mommy was washing our breakfast dishes while I perched on a kitchen stool, my eyes tracking her every move. Since our talk about our matching crescent-shaped birthmarks, she seemed lost in thought, occasionally glancing at me with a mixture of confusion and wonder.

She had no idea how hard I’d worked to find her! For two whole months, I’d been secretly using my resources to search all over Chicago for ladies with the same birthmark, ever since I discovered that she wasn’t actually gone forever like they told us. They’d been lying to us three kids for years, and I knew Dad didn’t want us to be with her. That’s why I had to figure out how to sneak away and find her myself!

When she disappeared into her bedroom and came back wearing a gray business suit instead of her comfy pajamas, all the colorful balloons inside me popped.

“Oliver,” she said gently, “I need to go to work today.”

“You’re going away?” My voice came out smaller than I meant it to, like a sad little kitten. I’d only just found her—I didn’t want her to leave me!

She knelt to my level, her eyes kind but firm. “Sweetheart, I have important work to finish, and then I need to try to find your family.”

“But I just found you,” I protested, feeling my bottom lip start to quiver. This time, I wasn’t pretending—the thought of being separated from Mommy after searching for so long made my chest hurt. And I couldn’t let Dad find me!

I never knew what being loved like this felt like. Not really. With Dad, it was always rules and silence, and I always felt like I was in the way. But with Mommy, just one gentle touch, one soft word, and the whole world sparkled. I didn’t want to let go of that feeling.

“I know this is hard for you,” she said softly, tucking a wayward strand of hair behind my ear. “But you can’t stay here forever without your family knowing where you are.”

I flung my arms around her neck, holding tight. “Please don’t go! I’ll be super good, pinky promise! What if you don’t come back?”

I felt her hesitate, then her arms wrapped around me. “Oliver…” She sighed deeply, then pulled back to look at me. The concern in her eyes made me feel both guilty and hopeful.

After a moment, she reached for her phone. “Let me see what I can do.”

I listened carefully as she made a call: “Yes, Mr. Wright, I need to handle some personal matters today… I’ll complete the design modifications remotely…”

When she hung up, she gave me a small smile. “I’ll stay home this morning, but I need to work in my bedroom for a few hours. Will you be okay entertaining yourself?”

Two hours later, my smartwatch buzzed with a coded vibration—our secret signal. I peeked through the peephole and saw Hunter outside, disguised as a deliveryman, his baseball cap pulled low over his eyes.

I slipped out the door quietly. “You’re three minutes late,” I whispered, glancing at my watch.

“Traffic on Damen Avenue,” he replied, handing me a plain brown bag that smelled amazing.

“Not too late—she hasn’t come out yet,” I whispered, relieved.

After sending Hunter away, I worked quickly to transfer the gourmet food—herb-roasted chicken, creamy mashed potatoes, and fresh vegetables—onto Mommy’s simple white plates.

I had just finished when Mommy’s bedroom door opened.

She stopped in the doorway, her eyes widening as she took in the neatly arranged table, the folded napkins, and me standing proudly beside it all.

“Oliver… did you do all this?”