CHAPTER 2: WHAT HAPPENED TO ANNA
The waitress stepped closer now, placing a cup of water gently in front of Eli.
“Drink,” she said softly.
Eli obeyed, hands shaking slightly.
Jax leaned forward, elbows on the counter. “Where is she?”
Eli didn’t answer right away.
That hesitation said everything.
Jax’s voice dropped. “Eli… where’s your mom?”
The boy looked down at the empty space on the counter.
“She got sick,” he said. “A long time ago.”
Jax’s chest tightened.
“She tried to work… tried to take care of me. But it got worse.” Eli’s voice stayed calm, but his fingers curled tightly around the glass. “Before she… went away, she gave me the photo. And the letter.”
Jax didn’t move.
“She said if I ever got scared… I should find you.”
The words landed heavy.
“She believed you’d come,” Eli added.
Jax let out a quiet breath that trembled just slightly.
“I would have,” he said. “I swear to God… I would have.”
Eli nodded.
May you like
“I know.”
That simple answer broke something inside him.
