Torn

Monaco 3

Seb emerged from the bar having shared a few celebratory drinks with his team. Most of them now wanted to go on to a nightclub, all he wanted to do was head back to the harbour to look for Neev, just to see if he'd get the chance to see her again like he had on Friday morning. Today had been great, it had gone much better than anyone could have hoped for; the win had been fantastic and would be a highlight of his season but the euphoria hadn't lasted long, the adrenaline had faded away and along with it, his happiness. All he wanted was his Nevaeh by his side, she would have made today special, she would have made it feel more. Hearing a child's cry, he looked around and was shocked to see a small girl standing all on her own, close to the side of a big sliver Bentley. Her eyes were darting around, she looked lost and frightened and every so often he'd hear her tearfully call for her mother. Getting his phone from his pocket, ready to call the police and get them to help search for her mother, he walked over to her and lowered himself down to her level to talk to her. "Melissa." Upon seeing the fair haired little girl, her name fell from his lips. He didn't hesitate in scooping her up into his arms and he walked back away from the car to stand outside the bar, feeling that it was safer for her to be well away from the road.

The little girl was now sobbing uncontrollably, her little body was shaking with every gasping breath. "I.....want.....mummy!"

"I know, I know. We'll look for her, we'll find her, don't worry." He rubbed her back soothingly. The way she was clinging onto him, burying her face against his shoulder pulled at his heart. There was something about this little girl that gave him what he could only describe as a paternal pull, an overbearing instinct to protect her at all costs, to take care of her and to try and stop her tears. Holding her felt right, like he'd been born to be a father - her father. "Hey come on Melissa, we'll find mummy together. Can you remember where you were when you last saw her?"

There was no response, she just seemed to cry harder.

Although he knew it was wrong, he turned his head to place a kiss in her hair while murmuring soothingly to her. The scent in her hair filled his nostrils. Miss Dior. He'd know that scent anywhere. She'd obviously been out with her mother, Fernando and Nevaeh and probably Fernando's parents too and had somehow got separated from them. After a couple of minutes his words and cuddles seemed to work and Melissa started to calm down, her body started to go limp. Of course, she'd exhausted herself. "Melissa?" He called her name, still nuzzling her hair with his nose. Holding this little girl felt so unbelievably right, it felt so natural. She lifted her weary little head to look at him; although they were puffy, her blue eyes looked right into his. Seb felt almost as though he was looking into a mirror, like he was looking back at his own eyes, his own reflection.

"I'm Anaya." She announced suddenly, taking him by surprise.

He frowned, she must be joking with him. Fernando had told him that her name was Melissa. "Uncle Fernando said your name is Melissa."

She shook her head and said her name resolutely. "Anaya."

"GIVE HER BACK NOW! GIVE ME MY BABY!"

The woman's scream was a sound that would haunt him forever and he looked from the child in his arms to the face of her mother but it wasn't the woman he'd expected to see; it wasn't Rosa dashing over to him, trembling with fear. It was Nevaeh.

She almost skidded to a halt, slapping her hand over her mouth in shock at her terrible mistake. Her eyes met Seb's, the realisation was there, the look on his face was plain to see as it dawned on him. Everywhere seemed to fall silent; yet people were still walking past and around her, cars were still driving past on the road behind her but it was all silent, like someone had a big remote control and had hit the mute button. All she could hear was her own ragged breaths in her ears.