Sacrificie of love

The sound of sirens faded, drowned out by the roar of the black car's engine speeding through the streets of a city that Dereck was just beginning to get to know. His small face was pressed against the window, watching as the buildings blurred by, while Anthony, his father, wore a serious expression, his hands firmly gripping the steering wheel.

“Are we running away again?” Dereck asked with the casualness of a child accustomed to the extraordinary.

Anthony glanced quickly at his son through the rearview mirror. His clenched jaw relaxed slightly, enough to offer a forced smile.

“It’s not running away, it’s being cautious.”

Dereck didn’t say anything else, but his mind began to work. He didn’t fully understand what his father did for a living, but he knew his life would never be like his classmates’. The little boy lay back in the back seat, playing with a plastic airplane. "Cautious," he thought, but what he saw was that they never stayed in one place long enough for him to call it home.

When they arrived at the new house, a place surrounded by high walls and security cameras, Dereck ran to the backyard. The mansion was enormous, but to him, it was just another temporary prison. While playing with his airplane, a thought crossed his mind: they needed to stay in one place, and that would only happen if his dad had more to do than just work and be paranoid.

That night, while they ate dinner in the dining room, Anthony was answering countless messages on his phone. Dereck watched him, trying to find the right moment to bring up his idea.

“Dad, have you ever fallen in love?” he suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

Anthony looked up, surprised by the question. His furrowed brow made him appear even more imposing under the light.

“Where did you get that from?” he asked, setting the phone down on the table.

“I just want to know. All my friends' dads have wives or girlfriends. Why don’t you?”

Anthony sighed, leaning back in his chair. For a moment, he seemed to drift into a distant memory.

“My life isn’t like the others, son. Having someone by my side could put her in danger.”

Dereck tilted his head, confused, but didn’t give up.

“What if she could make you happy? Maybe, if you had a girlfriend, we wouldn’t have to move all the time. You could stay with me in the same place and I wouldn’t lose any more friends.”

The sincerity in Dereck’s words hit Anthony like a cold bucket of water. He stood up from the table without answering and walked out to the garden, leaving the boy with his thoughts.

Dereck didn’t understand it, but there was something his dad wasn’t telling him. That very night, the boy decided he would do something about it. If Anthony wasn’t going to find a girlfriend, Dereck would do it for him.

The next day, armed with a notebook and a pencil, Dereck sat in the living room creating a list of the “ideal requirements” for the perfect woman for his dad.

1. She must be pretty (dads always like pretty ladies).

2. She must be a good cook (because dad only knows how to order pizza).

3. She must know how to keep secrets (in case dad has dangerous work).

4. She must make dad smile (because he doesn’t do it much).

When Anthony left in the afternoon for “business matters,” Dereck took the opportunity to open his tablet and search for ways to meet people. “What was that thing Kevin’s mom used to find a boyfriend? Oh, yes, dating apps.” Not fully understanding how they worked, he decided that would be his strategy.

What Dereck didn’t know was that his innocent plan was about to set off a series of events that would change his father’s life.

Dereck was excited about his plan, but the message he had sent through the tablet hadn’t received a response. Still, the boy wasn’t discouraged. He knew that if anyone could help his dad, it was him.

That night, after dinner, Dereck decided it would be a good idea to bring something to his father to cheer him up. Anthony was still locked in his study, as usual, with the door ajar and an air of tension that seemed to fill the house.

He grabbed one of the cookies Mrs. Clara, the housekeeper, had left in the kitchen and cautiously walked toward the study. When he arrived, he gently pushed the door open.

“Dad, I brought you a…” he started to say, but stopped when he noticed the study was empty.

The leather swivel chair was slightly turned, and the computer screen was on. Dereck, always curious, walked over to the desk to leave the cookie, but what he saw on the screen captured all his attention.

It was a photograph. In it was a young woman with dark hair and deep eyes that seemed to have a special sparkle. She was in profile, with an elegant and mysterious air. Dereck felt she fit perfectly with the image he had imagined for his dad.

“She’s perfect…” he murmured softly, forgetting about the cookie.

Next to the photo was a name: “Sophia Laurent.” He didn’t fully understand the context, but that didn’t matter. All he knew was that this woman could be the key to solving his problem.

Dereck searched the desk for clues. Among some documents, he found a piece of paper with the woman’s name and an address written by hand. His young mind began to form a plan. If his dad wouldn’t take the initiative, he would organize the meeting himself.

When he heard footsteps approaching the study, Dereck hurried out, leaving the cookie on the desk. Anthony entered seconds later, his face tired and his shirt sleeves rolled up.

“What were you doing here?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I just brought you a cookie,” Dereck replied with an innocent smile, pointing to the table.

Anthony looked at the cookie and then at his son. For a moment, his hard expression softened, and he sat down in his chair. “Thanks, son.”

“You’re welcome, dad. I hope it makes you happy.”

Anthony slightly furrowed his brow but said nothing else. While biting into the cookie, Dereck left the study with his heart racing. He had a name, an address, and a mission.

What he didn’t know was that Sophia Laurent wasn’t just any woman, and bringing her into his father’s life could be far more dangerous than he ima

gined. But for Dereck, this was just the beginning of his plan to save his family.