A woman rushed inside, followed by two officers.
Her hair was disheveled, her face pale, and tears streamed down her cheeks.
She looked wildly around the store.
"Emma!"
The little girl lifted her head.
"Mommy?"
Sarah saw her.
For a heartbeat, neither moved.
Then Emma jumped off the bench.
"MOMMY!"
She ran across the floor.
Sarah dropped to her knees just as her daughter reached her.
They collided in a desperate embrace.
Sarah wrapped both arms around Emma, pressing kisses into her hair.
"My baby. My sweet baby."
Emma sobbed against her shoulder.
"I was scared, Mommy!"
"I know. I know."
"I'm sorry!"
Sarah pulled back just enough to look into her daughter's eyes.
"No, sweetheart. Don't you ever apologize for this."
She held Emma's face between her hands.
"You did nothing wrong."
Emma cried harder.
"He said you were hurt."
Sarah closed her eyes.
"I'm here, baby. I'm right here."
Around them, shoppers stood silently.
Even Robert, who had managed the store for twenty years, wiped his eyes.
Marcus watched from a distance.
The sight was beautiful.
And unbearable.
For one moment, he imagined Grace running toward him.
He imagined lifting her into his arms.
He imagined hearing her call him Daddy again.
His throat tightened.
He quietly turned away.
He had done what he came to do.
Now it was time to leave.
But before he reached the exit, a small voice called after him.
"Mr. Marcus!"
He stopped.
Emma was running toward him, holding Sarah's hand.
"Don't go yet!"
CHAPTER 7: FOREVER AND A DAY
Marcus turned around.
Sarah approached him slowly, her daughter pressed close to her side.
For several seconds, she seemed unable to speak.
She looked at his leather vest, his weathered face, and his enormous hands.
Then she looked down at Emma.
"Is this the man who helped you?"
Emma nodded eagerly.
"He wouldn't let Greg take me."
Sarah's eyes filled again.
She reached for Marcus's hand.
"I don't know how to thank you."
Marcus shook his head.
"You don't have to."
"Yes," Sarah whispered. "I do."
Her voice trembled.
"Greg has been threatening us for months. I tried everything I could to keep Emma safe. I changed our locks. I changed our routine. I got a protective order."
She swallowed.
"But this morning, he took her anyway."
Marcus listened quietly.
Sarah tightened her grip on his hand.
"If you hadn't been here..."
She could not finish.
Marcus looked toward Emma.
"She's a brave little girl."
Sarah shook her head.
"Most people would have looked the other way. They would have assumed Greg was her father. They would have decided it wasn't their problem."
Marcus glanced down at his worn leather vest.
"Maybe."
"Why didn't you?"
He remained silent for a moment.
Then he answered.
"Because I made a promise a long time ago."
Sarah waited.
Marcus took a slow breath.
"I had a daughter once. Her name was Grace."
Emma looked up.
"You told me about her."
He nodded.
"She was eight years old when I lost her in a car accident."
Sarah's expression changed.
"I'm so sorry."
Marcus looked toward the windows.
"That was almost thirty years ago. And there's not a day I don't think about her."
His voice grew quieter.
"I was supposed to pick her up that afternoon. I got caught up at work. Somebody else drove her home."
He paused.
"There was a storm. Another driver lost control."
Sarah covered her mouth.
Marcus looked down at his hands.
"For years, I kept thinking that if I'd been there, maybe things would've turned out differently."
Emma stepped closer.
"Did you miss her a lot?"
Marcus's eyes shone.
"Every single day."
The little girl reached for his hand.
"I'm sorry your Grace died."
Marcus knelt beside her.
"Thank you, sweetheart."