"Sofia," I called after her.
She stopped and looked back, wariness still in her eyes.
"Welcome to the neighborhood," I said. "If you need any help, you can always come find me."
She thought about it, then said, "I'll tell Mommy. Thank you for getting my ball."
With that, she ran toward the house with her ball.
I stood there, watching her go.
That red hair, that five-year-old age, and those brown eyes...
No, this was ridiculous.
New York was huge. How could it possibly...
But a voice in my head whispered: What if it really was?
I shook my head, turned to go back inside.
Just then—
"Sofia!"
A woman's voice came from next door, clearly panicked.
I instinctively turned around.
A woman rushed out of the house, wearing house clothes with an apron still tied around her waist, hair casually pulled back, obviously fresh from a shower and making breakfast.
"What are you doing outside?" Her voice was full of anxiety. "Didn't I tell you to play in the yard?"
"My ball rolled out," Sofia held up the ball. "This man helped me get it."
The woman seemed to notice my presence for the first time.
She looked up, and in that moment, time seemed to freeze.
Red hair, damp and clinging to her shoulders.
Green eyes, sparkling in the sunlight with a glow I could never forget.
That face—
Even after five years, even though she looked more worn, even though time had left subtle marks around her eyes—
I recognized her instantly.
Anna.
Our eyes met, and her face went white as paper.
In those green eyes, terror, shock, and disbelief swirled together.
This woman—this woman I'd been haunted by for five years—
Was standing right there.
