Chapter 2 Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Cassandra

“I want to see the tall buildings again, Mama.”

Liam’s small hand squeezed mine as we stepped off the bus. His eyes grew wide the moment he looked up at the skyline. He had never seen anything like it except in picture books. The city felt enormous around us, but his excitement pushed through the weight in my chest.

“You will see plenty,” I said, forcing a smile. “Just stay close to me.”

He nodded quickly, still staring upward like he had walked into another world. Cars hummed past us. People rushed around. He looked at everything with pure wonder. I wiped my cheeks before he could notice the tears that had already escaped.

I tried not to cry, but the moment my feet touched city ground again, something inside me cracked. Four years ago, I had run from this place with nothing but fear, shame, and a baby growing inside me. Now I was back with that same baby holding my hand, ready to start a life he deserved.

A voice called my name from across the sidewalk.

“Cass!”

I turned to see my best friend, Mara, waving at us with a wide grin. She ran toward us, her brown curls bouncing behind her. She didn’t slow down until she wrapped her arms around both me and Liam.

“You made it,” she said into my shoulder. “Finally.”

I nodded, holding her a little tighter than I intended. She felt familiar, solid, safe. Liam lifted his face from my coat and smiled at her.

“You got taller,” Mara said to him, squatting so she was eye level with him. “You didn’t look this tall in the pictures your mama sent.”

“I am almost four,” he announced proudly. “Mama said that means I am big.”

Mara laughed and ruffled his hair. “You are big. And you are going to love it here.”

He grinned and hugged her without hesitation. Mara’s expression softened as she looked at him. Then she stood and took my suitcase handle from me.

“Come on. Let’s get you both to my place before you start crying in the middle of the street again.”

“I am not crying,” I said, even though my voice shook.

“You are absolutely crying,” she said. “And you are allowed.”

We walked down the sidewalk together, Liam hopping between us, holding both our hands. He giggled when a car honked in the distance. His laughter eased something in me, but when I looked up at the tall buildings again, my eyes stung.

Mara noticed. She always noticed.

“Cass,” she said softly, “you are safe here. You are with me. You have a job waiting. You have a plan. You can breathe now.”

I nodded, but memories still pushed their way in. I had tried to lock them away for years, but the city pulled them out the moment I arrived.

My parents.

The accident.

The phone call that shattered everything.

I closed my eyes as the images returned. My father’s laugh. My mother’s hand brushing my hair. Their faces the last time I saw them before their car never made it home. I heard the officer’s voice again, calm and empty, explaining what had happened. The world had tilted then in a way it never corrected.

“Hey,” Mara said, squeezing my arm when she saw my breathing change. “You survived that. You survived everything after. You raised your son on your own for three years. Don’t let the past take today from you.”

I opened my eyes and nodded again, slower this time.

Liam tugged my sleeve. “Mama, look. The buildings are touching the sky.”

His wonder pulled me back.

“They are tall,” I said, bending to kiss his forehead. “But you are braver than all of them.”

He smiled and wrapped his arms around my neck. I held him close, grounding myself in his warmth.

Mara unlocked her apartment door when we reached it. The small hallway smelled like vanilla candles and fresh laundry. Liam ran inside with a gasp.

“This is so big,” he said, spinning once before tripping over his own feet. He laughed again.

I exhaled, finally letting my shoulders drop.

“We will make everything work,” Mara said as she placed the suitcase near the wall. “I’ll watch him after school. Your shift ends earlier than mine anyway, and if you ever need me to keep him longer, I will. I meant what I said in every message. You are not alone here.”

I walked to her and hugged her again, tighter this time.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“Don’t thank me,” she said. “Just breathe.”

I looked around the apartment. It wasn’t huge, but it was warm, familiar, and full of life. It already felt more like home than any place I had lived in the past four years.

Liam came running toward me and jumped into my arms.

“Mama, when do I start school?”

“Next Monday,” I answered.

“And when do you start work?”

“Tomorrow.”

His eyes sparkled. “I want you to like your work.”

I brushed his cheek. “I want that too.”

Mara leaned against the counter with a small smile. “You will. And everything gets better from here.”

I held Liam a little tighter.

I wanted to believe her.

But deep down, something told me the city I spent years running from was about to collide with the secrets I tried to bury.

And nothing stays hidden forever.