Ernest hesitated. He almost told him no; boys were supposed to be tougher. But then he looked closer and saw how much Locke wanted it. The words caught in his throat. Locke had been through so much even before turning three. The good years had barely begun, and now his mother was gone; they didn’t even know if she was still alive.

“Of course you can.”

He bent down and lifted Locke onto his shoulders.

“Wow! Ha-ha!” Locke burst out laughing. The sound was pure.

Ernest raised a brow. Maybe spoiling his boy a little wasn’t so bad. With Elissa gone, this was the least he could give their son. Locke suddenly hugged his neck and whispered softly, “Dad.”

“Yes?”

“When will Mom come home?”

The tremble in his voice made Ernest’s scalp tighten. He didn’t answer right away. Locke pressed on, his voice smaller now.

“Is she never coming back? Never ever?”

“No. She’ll come back.” Ernest shook his head and frowned. His voice was tight but firm.

“She will, Locke. I promise.”

He reached for his son’s hand and gave it a light squeeze.

“We’ll wait together, all right? She’s coming back; she just needs a bit more time to find her way back. Just trust me.”

“Okay!” Locke nodded quickly.

“I believe you, Dad. Mom’s coming home!”

Ernest didn’t speak. He only thought to himself—this was good enough for now.

Still, as the days went on, there was no telling when they’d hear from Elissa again. A year, two, even ten. He would keep searching. But Locke wouldn’t wait the same way he did. Locke would grow older; he might gradually forget her face. Then he might forget she ever existed.

“Elissa, please be safe. Let me find you soon. You need to see our son grow,” Ernest thought silently.

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Ernest and Eric swam in the shallows with the kids. Locke moved through the water with ease; Ernest only needed to keep an eye on him in case he wandered too far. Joy, on the other hand, was just starting—she didn’t know how to swim yet. Eric stayed close, showing her the basics with steady patience.

For once, Hadley felt at peace. She sat under the sunshade, keeping Nyla company. Nyla watched the group in the water with a light smile.

“See that? Kids belong with their dads. Men have the strength and energy to keep up.”

“That’s true.” Hadley nodded and smiled, then handed Nyla a bowl of watermelon.

Nyla frowned.

“It’s not cold?”

Hadley shook her head.

“No, just room temperature.”

Nyla scrunched her nose.

“That’s no good. I’m not eating that.” She waved it away.

Hadley pressed her lips together and smiled quietly. Since Nyla had gotten sick, she’d started acting more like a child.

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