Just before dusk my tired feet carried me to the row of warehouses that sat on the very edge of town. Tears pricked my eyes knowing I was close to finding my children. A worry doused my joy. What if that man had been lying? I paused and looked out over the darkening landscape. What would I do if I never find them? What would all this be worth if my children were lost to me?
“Mommy?”
I knew I would lose my mind eventually and now I had finally snapped. The need to hear their voice was so deep that I was now imagining it. I dropped to my knees and began to sob helplessly. When the tiny arms wrapped around my neck and squeezed the air out of my lungs, I still thought it was just an illusion.
“Shh, Mommy. Don’t cry, don’t cry. You came back just like you said you would,” whispered a tiny voice in my ear.
“Mom!” came another equally sweet voice.
“No! No!” I wailed. “You’re not real!”
“Yes, we are Mommy. Just open your eyes,” said the soft voice again.