My car thumped to a halt.
And the very next moment I stood panting, with Jane's door wide open in front of me.
Amy was right there with Kelly, and the innocent smile on the girl's faces pushed a happy tear out my eye. I ran straight and hugged Amy tight. Since me and jack parted Amy had just been my every bit of life.
Amy handed me over her favorite 'orange bear' hanky, and wiped my endless tears.
And that's when I realized I had to be strong. I regrouped myself and stood up on my still trembling legs.
I asked Amy if anything strange had happened since we left both kids on their own, but she denied anything as such.
I doubted the reality.
And this was not the first time I did so. I had been trusting my instinct since years, and my senses had never sort of betrayed me .
''Better take the whole damn thing to the police'', said Jane.
''But they won't be able to make anything out of it, and moreover it could alert the culprit and force him to take some more cruel leaps at us'', my anxiety spoke for me.
Jane kept quiet.
Her silence supported my frail apprehensions. The very first thing on my mind was to protect Amy anyhow and also to work a way out of the storm we were slowly sinking in.
And then there was a doorbell.
Louder and louder. I felt my heart struggling to keep it in my chest.
I looked through the keyhole.
It was Jack.
I rubbed my eyes, told my heart to stop pounding and looked again.
Shit.
IT WAS JACK VINCE!
My mind battled my heart for that very moment. My hands froze in deep stillness and I couldn't move or shout. I was just looking through the keyhole.
The bell kept ringing, and I stood stuck to the ground. As if hit by paralysis.
The bell had stopped.
I was just about to breath when I saw Amy running down the staircase towards me .
Yes, I barely needed the hug.
But just then, without speaking a word, Amy flung the door wide open.
I felt a cold breeze strike my face hard.
There was no one at the door. Amy innocently asked, '' mommy, why didn't you open it earlier? ''
I pulled Amy in and slammed the door shut.
"But mommy...'' managed Amy before I gave her a slap and hugged her tight.
I was wailing.
And the very next moment, Amy stood, crying small tears with her hand stretched out with her hanky for me.
I felt loved.
Yet weak.
