Emma Carter stepped out of the coffee shop carrying two cups.
One was hers.
The other was hot chocolate for Lily.
"Careful," Emma said as her seven-year-old daughter skipped beside her. "It's still hot."
Lily nodded seriously.
Then she stopped.
Emma took two more steps before realizing her daughter wasn't beside her anymore.
"Lily?"
The little girl was staring at a man standing near the curb.
He was about forty, wearing a dark jacket.
He looked like he had been waiting.
Emma immediately moved closer to her daughter.
"Can I help you?"
The man looked at Emma.
Then at Lily.
His expression changed.
Not fear.
Recognition.
"You shouldn't be here."
Emma frowned.
"Excuse me?"
The man looked directly at Lily.
"Your mother doesn't know what happened to you."
Emma's stomach tightened.
"What did you just say?"
Lily looked confused.
The man took one step forward.
Emma stepped between them.
"Stay away from my daughter."
"I'm not here to hurt her."
"Then why are you talking to her?"
The man reached into his jacket.
Emma grabbed Lily's hand.
"Don't."
He stopped.
Slowly, he pulled out a small photograph.
It showed a little girl standing outside a hospital.
Emma stared at it.
The girl looked exactly like Lily.
Same dark eyes.
Same small birthmark near her left eyebrow.
But the photograph was old.
Very old.
Emma's voice dropped.
"Where did you get that?"
The man looked at her.
"Five years ago."
Emma's face went pale.
Lily was born seven years ago.
The man noticed her reaction.
"Ask your husband."
Emma's heart began racing.
"My husband?"
"Daniel knows me."
Before Emma could respond, a familiar voice came from behind.
"Emma."
She turned.
Daniel was walking toward them.
He had left work early.
At least, that's what he had told her.
His eyes immediately landed on the stranger.
For the first time since Emma had known him, Daniel looked genuinely afraid.
The stranger smiled.
"You still haven't told her?"
Daniel stopped.
"Go away, Noah."
Emma looked from one man to the other.
"You know him?"
Daniel didn't answer.
Noah did.
"Of course he knows me."
He looked at Emma.
"He knows exactly who I am."
Daniel stepped closer.
"Emma, take Lily home."
"No."
Emma's voice shook.
"What is going on?"
Daniel lowered his voice.
"Not here."
Noah laughed quietly.
"That's what you said five years ago."
Emma stared at him.
Five years.
The photograph.
The hospital.
Her daughter's birthmark.
Something wasn't adding up.
Noah put the photograph back into his pocket.
Then he looked at Lily one last time.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart."
Lily stared at him.
And suddenly she whispered:
"I remember you."
Emma froze.
Daniel's face went completely white.
Noah didn't move.
Because the little girl had just said the one thing he had been afraid she would remember.