The world around me blurred as his words sank in. My legs threatened to buckle beneath me, but I clung to the bench for support. Mikey stirred in my arms, his innocent face oblivious to the turmoil gripping my heart.
“Who?” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Who would want to hurt us?”
“I don’t know yet, but I have my suspicions,” my father said, his voice a mixture of anger and urgency. “Listen, Natalie, I need you to trust me. I’ve been working undercover for the past eight years. The people I was investigating found out about you and Mikey. That’s why I had to disappear.”
The old woman still stood beside me, her presence oddly comforting in the fog-laden silence. Her eyes met mine, offering a silent assurance. I nodded, though every fiber of my being screamed for answers.
“Stay on the line,” I urged my father. “I can’t do this alone.”
