“We want to meet him before you go off on a photography excursion with him,” Eve said firmly.
“Yes, Mom, I agree with Aunt Eve,” Lila backed Eve. “We need to meet him in order to ensure he’s a nice guy.”
Mia rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop smiling. She pulled them both into a hug, her throat tightening with emotion.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “For making me come here.”
Eve squeezed her tight. “You’re welcome, sweetheart.”
That night, snuggled in the most comfortable bed, Mia dreamed.
She was eight years old again, standing in a driveway she didn’t consciously remember but somehow knew. A pink bicycle leaned against the garage, brand new and shining in the sunlight.
Her mother stood beside her, smiling. Her father was there too, tall and solid, his hand on her shoulder. Although she couldn’t see his face, she could smell his cologne. A scent that always made her feel safe.
“But it’s still three days before my birthday,” she said, excitement bubbling inside her.
“It arrived early, and your father and I couldn’t wait to see the look on your face,” her mother said.
“You’ve wanted this bike forever,” her father pointed out.
Eight-year-old Mia clapped her hands, laughing with pure, uncomplicated joy.
The scene shifted.
She was riding the bike now, pedaling hard around a park across the road from the house. A large pond sat in the center, ducks floating lazily on the surface. A dog ran beside her. He was black, short-haired, massive, and protective. Tyson. A Cane Corso with a blocky head and gentle eyes.
Tyson spotted the ducks and took off, barking joyfully.
Mia laughed and kept pedaling, circling the pond.
Suddenly, a man stepped out from behind a tree.
The laughter died in her throat.
The man lunged toward her, his face twisted with something she didn’t understand but instinctively feared.
She screamed.
The bike wobbled.
Tyson came barreling back, teeth bared, placing himself between her and the stranger.
The man lunged again.
Mia swerved hard, the bike’s front tire hitting a rock.
She flew over the handlebars, arms flailing, the world tilting sickeningly.
She heard her father calling out her name as the pond rushed up to meet her.
Before she hit the water, she screamed one word.
“Daddy!”
Mia sat up straight in bed, the sheets twisted around her legs, her heart pounding so hard she thought it might break through her ribs.
The light snapped on.
