Chapter 104: Chapter-104. (An Angel In Disguise.).
Sophie was not a person.
She was an angel in disguise. This was not some exaggeration said by me, but the actual truth.
Not only did she cancel her plans and drive back to the city. They also stopped by a drive-thru and ordered some food for us.
The moment the wraps came within our reach, we almost snatched them from her grip like wild beasts.
Without caring for them, we would think of ourselves. We took a big bite, chewing on the veggies, and as the spicy mayo hit our tongues, it sent a tingle through all our senses.
We ravaged those wraps was an understatement. All the sauce was on our faces as one onion string stuck to the corner of Emma’s mouth. Sophie passed us some tissues with water bottles.
After we cleaned ourselves, they stopped by the thrift store to get us some clean clothes and some flip-flops.
As Sophie handed over the small plastic bag. I found two pairs of simple flip-flops inside it.
One was pink, and the other was black in color. They were not fancy. Moreover, they were just some second-hand footwear, but to us, they looked more like a treasure.
My bare feet slipped into them, and I almost sighed out loud as I felt the softness becoming a barrier between me and the harsh ground.
Emma squealed when she put hers on, smacking her little foot against the floorboard like she was testing if they worked.
"They fit! Mommy, look, they fit!" she said, as she giggled. For the first time in what felt like forever, it was not some hollow sound but a real laugh, sweet as honey in my ears.
I smiled, but my throat tightened. I kept thanking Sophie, over and over, tripping on my own words, not sure how to show her how much this meant.
She brushed it off every time with a soft, "Don’t worry about it, Elena. Just... get better."
But how could I not?
Kindness felt unreal after so much cruelty.
My brain kept whispering that maybe this was temporary, that maybe Sophie would change her mind, or maybe Josh would somehow find us before we truly got away.
Every bump of the car made me flinch, every shadow out the window felt like eyes watching.
Still, I clung to the warmth Sophie and Edward gave us.
While driving, Emma got busy with him, asking questions about everything she saw through the window.
Edward kept answering her every childish question with patience. They got mingled up so effortlessly that he offered her to sit on his lap as she drove with him.
Emma, without wasting another second, jumped on him, making all of us laugh at her naive action.
Sophie and Edward kept talking to her as I sat back, lost in my own thoughts.
The city lights grew nearer, glowing faintly against the dark horizon.
Emma then shifted on Sophie’s lap as she pressed her face to the window, tracing shapes in the glass with her finger.
"It’s so shiny," she murmured. Her voice was sleepy now, heavy, the kind of tired that comes only when your body knows it’s finally safe enough to rest.
Sophie glanced at her, then back at me. "She’s been through a lot, hasn’t she? And...so do you, right?"
I didn’t know what to say. My lips parted, but no words came.
How could I explain everything to them in just a sentence? So, instead of using words, I just nodded.
It felt as if she also understood the dilemma going on in my mind, as she then went quiet without pushing the matter further.
Instead, she started to caress Emma’s head, making her curl up like a ball.
The journey went quiet until Edward stopped at a small pharmacy.
Slipping out of the car before I could even ask why we came here. He then returned with a bag of bandages, ointments, and even a small stuffed bunny.
When she handed it to Emma, my daughter’s face lit up like the sun. She hugged the bunny tight, whispering, "Thank you," before drifting back to sleep.
I wanted to cry. No...I did cry.
Quietly, turning my face toward the window so Sophie or Edward would not notice.
Tears ran hot and fast, cutting down my cheeks as I pressed my hand to my mouth. Relief hurt. It hurt almost as much as fear, because now I finally had space to feel it.
Sophie’s voice cut through gently. "I think you should also rest. There’s still time until we reach our home."
Though I nodded to her, in that moment rest felt impossible.
My body was exhausted, yes, but my mind raced too fast, replaying everything.
The room, the chains, Josh’s eyes when he threatened me, the moment Emma pressed buttons and found the camera on us.
It all clawed at me, whispering that maybe this was not over. Maybe Sophie’s kindness was just a small pause in the storm.
What if Josh was still out there, already searching?
What if he saw the tire tracks leading away?
What if he guessed I knew Sophie, and he came for her too?
A shiver ran down my spine as goosebumps spread all over my body, but I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood.
No.
I could not let my paranoia ruin this moment for Emma. She needed hope. She needed Sophie and Edward’s light.
After a half-hour drive, we finally reached their apartment.
It was not some big, fancy place like my old home, but a small, warm place tucked above a corner café.
The smell of coffee beans drifted up the stairwell, rich and calming.
As she unlocked the door, Edward took Emma in his arms as she rested on his shoulder. Her saliva drooled over his T-shirt.
Instead of getting irritated, he just wiped it off with the back of his hand, as a genuine smile stretched over his lips.
It seemed like I stepped into a place that felt alive.
The faint hum of a refrigerator, the soft throw blankets on the couch, the framed photos on the wall, it all wrapped around me like a hug.
Henry adjusted Emma on the couch, tucking her in a warm and cozy blanket as she curled with her new bunny, drifting into sleep almost instantly.
I followed them up as I sat beside her, staring at her tiny chest rising and falling, half afraid she would vanish if I blinked.
Sophie set down the bags as Edward went into the kitchen after announcing that he was making us coffee.
Sophie then sat in the chair beside the couch, her hand resting on mine, as she said, keeping her voice low, "Elena," her voice came out softly, "you do not have to tell me everything tonight, but I want to let you know that you are safe here. You hear me? Nothing would happen to you or..."
Her gaze then followed Emma as she completed, "Her."
Safe. The word hit me like a stone in my chest. I wanted to believe it.
I wanted to let it sink in, but a part of me couldn’t. Not completely.
The memory of cold chains still clung to my skin, the echo of Josh’s voice still scratched inside my skull.