She gasped upon seeing him after so many years. The world around her seemed to stop moving there he was, walking casually, hands shoved into his pockets, gazing at an item displayed in the mall window.
Her thoughts were abruptly pulled back to reality by a tiny voice.
"Mommy... I want ice cream..."
Her daughter's voice sliced through the silence in her head, grounding her.
"Yes... come, let's go," she said softly, taking her daughter's hand and walking towards the ice cream stall.
"Which flavor do you want?" she asked gently.
The little girl placed her tiny index finger thoughtfully on her chin, as though deciding something monumental. She studied the colorful array of ice cream flavors before pointing and saying,
"Strawberry," with a little boxy smile lighting up her face.
"Okay," her mother smiled and turned to the shopkeeper.
"One strawberry, please."
But her gaze involuntarily shifted back toward him.
Now, he stood with another woman at the same place, their arms linked. He leaned in, whispering something to her. The unknown woman chuckled, lightly hitting his chest at whatever he had said.
As if he sensed something, his eyes lifted searching, scanning until they landed on her.
She was already staring, her gaze filled with longing and an ache she couldn't hide.
Something inside him stirred. A strange pull. A gasp escaped his lips as a tear welled up in his eye. He instinctively lowered his gaze, confused by the sudden rush of emotion.
Why did it feel like something was slipping through his fingers?
And when he looked up again, The spot where she had stood just moments ago was empty.
The woman with those eyes full of longing... was gone.
Who is SHE? He thought
Sequence of Fate Between Worlds
An autistic girl sheltered her whole life gets a taste of danger once she meets a thug named Santiago Perez.
Santiago "Ghost" Perez set his eyes on Zari one time and has never left her alone since
"Checkin' your location, I'm wishin' I was close to you
I left my heart on the West End, I can't wait to get home to you"