Bikeriders Serenade

A Love That Lingers

The following morning, with the house still quiet and the kids playing with their toys in the living room, Austin sat down at his desk in the small, cozy office space he and Lucy had converted from the old, abandoned house in their backyard. The sun filtered through the large window, casting a warm glow over the wooden floors. He powered up his laptop, eager to print out the photos from their day at the park.

After connecting the printer, he started scrolling through the images, smiling at the familiar faces frozen in joyful moments. The kids, their laughter evident even in still shots, were scattered across the playground. Austin chuckled at one picture of Mia mid-jump, her arms stretched out toward Noah, who was drenched from the splash pad.

But as he continued clicking through, his finger paused over the trackpad. A particular photo stopped him in his tracks. It wasn’t one he remembered taking.

In the image, Mia and Noah were playing near the splash pad as they had been in many other pictures. But in this one, a mysterious figure had walked into the frame—someone in the background, just outside the focus of the shot. At first glance, she seemed like just another park visitor. She was turned away, her face hidden. But in the next photo, taken only seconds later, the woman had turned and was looking directly toward the camera—directly at Austin.

His heart pounded as he leaned in, zooming closer to her face. The closer he got, the more familiar her features became until, with a sharp intake of breath, it hit him.

It was his mom, Lori.

Austin sat there, frozen, staring at the screen in disbelief. He hadn’t seen his mother in years—not since she passed. His mind raced, a mix of emotions flooding through him. It couldn’t be her, could it? But the resemblance was undeniable. The same gentle eyes, the same smile, the same comforting presence he’d known his whole life.

He didn’t move for several minutes, just sat there, stunned. How was this possible? Was his mind playing tricks on him?

Finally, snapping out of his daze, Austin reached for his phone and quickly dialed Lucy. His voice was shaky as he said, “Can you come out to the office, please?”

“Of course,” Lucy responded, concern in her voice. “I’ll be right there.”

Moments later, Lucy rushed over to the office. She could sense something was wrong the second she saw Austin’s face. He looked pale, almost shocked. Her heart skipped a beat as she walked over to him, taking his face gently in her hands. “What is it, baby?” she asked softly, her eyes searching his.

Austin took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. He then turned the laptop screen toward her, showing her the photo. “I don’t remember taking these last few,” he said, his voice quiet but filled with emotion.

Lucy squinted at the screen, her gaze landing on the mysterious woman. Her eyes widened when she recognized the face. She, too, was taken aback. “Is that… your mom?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Austin nodded slowly, still in disbelief. “Yeah. And I… I don’t know how. I don’t remember her being there. I don’t remember anyone like her being around us at all.”

Lucy, still staring at the image, shook her head softly. “I didn’t know how to bring this up yesterday,” she said gently, “but I felt your mom’s presence all day. Even before we left for the park, I had this overwhelming feeling she was close by.”

Austin blinked, processing what Lucy had just said. “Do you think she was trying to tell us something?” he asked, his voice low and filled with wonder.

Lucy looked into his eyes, her expression tender. “Maybe she was. Maybe she just wanted to be with us, to see the kids, to see you happy.”

They sat together in silence for a moment, both reflecting on the possibility. Though neither of them could explain what they had seen or felt, there was a comforting warmth in knowing that Lori’s presence, in some way, had been with them—watching, smiling, and perhaps offering a gentle reminder of her love.