We Want Mommy Not You Daddy (Cedar) novel Chapter 65

The Sky Remembered the Touch of Our Unfinished Goodbyes b

Chapter 65

Cedar’s POV

The next morning, I took Oliver to an amusement center. I wanted our last hours together to be filled with joy before he had to return

home.

Inside, Oliver ran around until he was covered in sweat, cotton candy in one hand and ice cream in the other, alternating bites with

obvious delight.

‘You’ll get a stomachache,” I warned, watching him with a mixture of concern and amusement. “Why can’t you ever behave?”

“Come on, Mommy! I’m super strong–I never get sick,” he insisted, offering me his ice cream. “Here, have a taste!”

I gave it a token lick, purposely keeping my expression stern. “After this one, no more treats. Understand?”

“Yes, Mommy!” Oliver’s eyes crinkled with happiness as he beamed at me.

The pure joy on his face made my heart squeeze. Being with him was so precious, and I wished I could freeze this moment forever.

Suddenly, he doubled over. “Mommy, my tummy hurts!” he whined, clutching his stomach.

“It must be from all that sugar and cold! Let’s get you to a doctor,” I said, immediately scooping him up and tossing the unfinished ice cream in a nearby trash can. I should never have given in and bought him so many treats…

“No, no—I just need to go potty! Find a bathroom, quick!”

“Oh! Right, bathroom!” I asked a staff member for directions and rushed toward the restrooms with Oliver in my arms.

“Mommy! I’m a boy–I can’t go into the ladies‘ room! Just w/ Apply

men’s room.

for me out here!” The little munchkin hopped down and bounced into the

Seeing his normal demeanor, I realized my panic had been unnecessary. Still, taking care of children was exhausting. Just one day of

playtime had nearly drained my last ounce of energy,

I sat on a bench near the restrooms to wait.

That’s when I spotted her.

A strikingly beautiful little girl wandered into my line of sight. Her eyelashes were impossibly long, and her eyes resembled deep pools of water you could drown in. She appeared to be the same age as Oliver.

As I admired her angelic features, I noticed a group of older boys–maybe five or six of them–racing toward her without paying attention. Without thinking, I leaped to my feet and darted forward.

1/4

Chapter 65

“Watch out!” I called, wrapping my arms around the girl just as the stampede of children rushed past.

She stood frozen in the middle of the indoor playground, her eyes wide with confusion and fear.

I held her gently, relieved she hadn’t been knocked over. “Are you okay, sweetie?” I asked softly.

The girl stared at me with an intensity that startled me. Her dark eyes, previously dull, suddenly shimmered. The transformation was so

dramatic it made me pause.

“Do you… know me?” I asked, bewildered.

She shook her head no.

Yet something about her reaction suggested familiarity–as if we’d met a thousand times before. Without warning, she leaned against my

shoulder, nestling close like she’d found safety after a long search.

I was speechless. What was happening? Was I somehow a child magnet? First Oliver, and now this girl I’d just rescued was clinging to me

like I was her lifeline.

“Sweetie,” I said gently, “are you here with your parents? Did you get separated from them? I can take you to the information desk to find

them.”

She simply shook her head and continued holding onto my neck, breathing deeply as if drawing comfort from my presence.

Before I could say anything else, a figure rushed toward us. I barely registered movement before a sharp shove hit my shoulder.

“Who are you? Why are you taking my child?” A woman with cold voice snatched the girl from my arms. Her eyes, narrowed with fury,

bore into mine. “So you’re one of those child traffickers we hear about? Trying to steal my daughter while I wasn’t looking? Everyone,

look here–she’s trying to kidnap children!”

Her shouting drew a crowd. Parents, naturally protective, gathered around with suspicious glares.

“Stealing a child in broad daylight? What’s wrong with you?”

“Such a pretty young woman–why would she become a kidnapper?”

“Someone call security! They should arrest her now!”

I straightened my spine, meeting the woman’s accusing gaze directly. “I am not a kidnapper. This girl was almost trampled, and I pulled her to safety. And you, miss–haven’t you noticed how she’s struggling in your arms? I have reason to question whether you’re actually her

mother.”

Indeed, the little girl was squirming in her grip, eventually biting her shoulder. With a yelp of pain, she loosened her hold, and the little girl broke free, running to cling to my legs.

Chapter 65

“Aria, come back here right now!” The woman was practically seething.

So her name was Aria. It’s a lovely name. But before I could dwell on that thought, the woman whirled around and directed her fury

straight at me.

“My daughter is always so well–behaved and obedient,” she spat. “How did one hug from you turn her against me? What kind of spell did you cast? Give me back my daughter!”

I lifted Aria into my arms and asked quietly, “Sweetie, is this lady really your family?”

Aria pressed her lips together, neither confirming nor denying. There seemed to be complicated emotions behind her silence.

“Of course I’m her family! I’m her mother!” the woman insisted through clenched teeth. “My daughter doesn’t speak–she’s mute. The fact that you’re asking her questions proves you know nothing about her. You’re obviously a kidnapper!”

The whispers from the crowd grew louder.

“No wonder the girl hasn’t made a sound through all this commotion.”

“Such a beautiful child, but can’t speak–what a shame.”

My heart sank at these words. Could it be true?

I looked down at the girl in my arms tenderly. “Is that true, sweetheart? Can’t you speak?”

Aria met my gaze, her thin lips parting with effort, but no sound emerged.

My heart plummeted. So it was true. And that meant this cold woman might actually be her mother…

The commotion had attracted security. Two uniformed guards approached, demanding, “Where’s the alleged kidnapper?”

“It’s her! The woman pointed at me, her voice laced with venom.

The guards moved toward me with stern expressions, handcuffs ready.

“I’ve already explained I’m not a kidnapper,” I said firmly. “This child was in danger, and I helped her. Have I made any attempt to leave

with her?”

The woman smirked. “No criminal admits their crime. Save your story for the police! Aria, come here now.” She extended her arms toward

her, her eyes containing an unspoken threat.

As the cold metal handcuffs approached my wrists, a clear, small voice cut through the tension.

“She’s not a kidnapper.”

Chapter 65

The childish voice, surprisingly deep and slightly hoarse from disuse, silenced everyone instantly.

*Officer, she’s not a kidnapper. She saved me,” Aria said, her face flushed with effort as her small lips formed each word deliberately.

The surrounding air seemed to thicken as an eerie silence fell over the crowd.

Comments

y Lysa Orion Rehn 65