little girl

Elijah was still trying to process the situation when a small child ran into him, knocking him off balance. He looked down to see a little girl, her dark hair framing a familiar face. It was Alexia's daughter, a miniature version of her mother.

"Oops," the little girl said, looking up at him with a mischievous grin. "Sorry, mister."

"It's okay," Elijah said, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He recognized the same spark of mischief in her eyes that he had seen in Alexia's so many times.

"You're funny,"

As Elijah looked at the little girl, his heart stopped. She bore a striking resemblance to him, more than just a passing similarity. It was as if he was looking at his own reflection, a reflection of his own childhood. But how was that possible?

He looked at Alexia, the question on the tip of his tongue. But before he could speak, the little girl tugged on his hand. "Come play with me," she said, her eyes wide and pleading.

And before he knew it, he found himself following her, unable to resist her request.

Alexia stood and watched as her daughter led Elijah away, the two of them disappearing into the crowd. She felt her heart beating fast, a mix of emotions swirling inside of her. She had known that Elijah would eventually find out the truth, but she hadn't expected it to happen like this.

"Mommy?" a voice said, pulling her out of her thoughts. She looked down to see her son, a puzzled look on his face. "Who is that man?" he asked.

"I...I'll tell you later," she said, her voice trembling. "Right now, let's go and eat something."