Chapter 49

• Ethan was patiently waiting for his mother's return home. He had cleverly tracked her phone to the police station, so he was reassured of her safety, but he yearned to see her with his own eyes. His mother was his world, the most precious treasure he had, his only one. His love for her was unparalleled, incomparable to any other affection he could ever feel.
• "Mommy, I was waiting for you! What took you so long?" He rushed to her side, nearly desperate, the moment she stepped through the front door.
• Eagerly, he wrapped his small, but firm hands around her legs, clinging tightly to her, resting his head against them, and remained that way for a seemingly eternal moment.