A Secret Worth Keeping

Chapter 4

Lizzie's POV: Holding onto the child tightly, I closed my eyes in relief once I could feel my daughter's heartbeat. I felt tears in my eyes, and that frightened me. I could still remember the last time I had cried. It had been the night I left home all those years ago. Those tears had been raw and painful from disbelief and betrayal.

These were tears of relief.

"Oh, Sophie, my little princess", I smiled, pulling back to look her over.

Sophie had grown significantly since the last time I've seen her, granted, my visits had never been regular. The last time had been nearly eight months ago. My daughter grinned back, her nose scrunching up, making the few freckles on her face nearly disappear. I ran my fingers through my daughter's hair, tucking a few strands back behind her ears. I could never understand how my child could look at me with adoration when I was such a irregular feature in her life, but I couldn't help the warmth that filled my chest whenever Sophie made me the center of the world.

I leaned forward on impulse and kissed my child's forehead, closing my eyes again as she wrapped her arms around my neck tightly. 

I stood, holding my daughter close, and transferred her onto my hip subconsciously as I scanned the crowds around us. No one was paying me any particular attention, but I still had the rising suspicion that I was being watched. I glanced up toward the ceiling, looking for security cameras. 

"Okay, Sophie, let's get you out of here", I whispered, turning my sights to the nearest exit.

"No, mama", she said, using both hands to bring my face closer to her own, so she could stare directly into my eyes. My mouth quirked in amusement as my daughter directed my attention to a sign nearby, her already wide, blue eyes were even wider with hope. "Please", she asked quietly, causing my smile to grow.

"You want to see the dolphins", I asked softly, before her head bobbed animatedly up and down. I considered my options as I looked around the lobby one more time, smiling as I watched my daughter playing with my hair, before nodding to myself thoughtfully, turning away from the exit.

"Okay, we'll go see the dolphins, but then we have to get you to safety", I told her softly, kissing her temple as I started down the corridor, following the signs. I acted calm for my daughter's benefit, but the hairs at the back of my neck were still on end and I was cautious moving forward. 

I was sure I was being followed.

The corridor was packed with people, the traffic significantly slowed by a particularly long and obnoxious group of women with strollers. I would have been annoyed, but Sophie was intrigued by every small tank and mural we passed. I didn't mind stopping to let my daughter squeal and fawn over the exotic fish and turtles, especially since my daughter would look at me expectantly and point to the signs, wanting me to read every single one.

"Okay, Sophie, what do we have here", I whispered, sidestepping around a pair of boys swatting at each other with inflatable swordfish. I adjusted my hold on my daughter and pointed to the tank in front of us, nudging her gently, causing her to reluctantly lift her head from my shoulder and squint at the little orange and white fish zooming around the colorful anemones. Her eyes instantly lit up and she kicked her heels excitedly, making me wince slightly.

"Nemo", she squealed, causing me to nod, brushing a few curls away from her face.

"Mhmm, these are Clownfish. There are 30 different species of Clownfish, and they can vary in size, but generally they can grow anywhere between 4 to 7 inches long. The Clownfish is known for its distinctive coloring", I recited softly. There were other children pressing up to the glass, and I took a small step back to give them room. "What color is it", I asked her. "White and...", I trailed off, looking at her expectantly.

"Orange", she beamed.

I nodded, watching the way the aquarium's lighting sent shadows and shimmering blues racing over Sophie's face.

"The Clownfish eat algae, plankton, crustaceans, and small fish. They live in communities, usually in anemones, which can sting. These anemones grow in warmer waters, so the Clownfish can often be found in the Indian Ocean, Red Sea, and Pacific Ocean", I explained. I starting to walk away, but Sophie tugged at my jacket lapel and pointed to a smaller sign near the tank. "Fun fact, Sophie, the Clownfish gets its name because it is a very funny fish. The Clownfish is very active and it is often seen doing various forms of acrobatics. This is where the name comes from: it often seems to be clowning around", I read, causing Sophie to giggled behind her hand.

I hesitated when a foghorn went off overhead and the corridor around me erupted with children squealing and parents attempting to hold onto them as the entire group surged toward the opening at the end of the hall. I could see that the end of the corridor emptied into a much wider area, one with natural lighting rather than this eerie, blue half-light. And the signs indicated the dolphin pool was just ahead. Sophie perked up at the obvious change of atmosphere around her and shot me a questioning look. Before I could speak, the ringing of the fading foghorn peal became an enthusiastic voice announcing the dolphin show would begin in five minutes.

Sophie squirmed out of my arms and tugged on my hand, dragging me toward the outdoor tank and the surrounding amphitheater. I kept my eyes moving until I located the three closest exits as Sophie pulled me to a bench row in the middle of the theatre. There were already seals in the water, with trainers droning on about feeding habits and the personality of the three animals already at play. I sat down, but Sophie was still on her feet, straining to see everything at once. I smiled fondly and kept one hand firmly on Sophie's shoulder, keeping my daughter within reach. I was still a little tense. I didn't like being so exposed.

"It's a little strange seeing you play house with our target", I heard someone say to my left, causing me to jump, my free hand instinctively moving to my gun at the small of my back, before firm hand stopped me.

"Don't", they warned, tightening their hold on my wrist almost painfully as if to prove a point. I inhaled sharply, turning my head to look at the woman sitting beside me as if we didn't just threaten each other. I felt my mouth go a little dry, even though my heart started beating faster. 

"Hope", I whispered weakly.

The woman turned to look at me, her dark eyes glinting even though the rest of her face was completely stoic.

"I think you have some explaining to do", she said, narrowing her eyes.