My name has been all over the local news. One of the local reporters got wind of my surgery and spread it all through the town. The people here are so excited and supportive of me. Several women have offered to help Nana take care of Tennyson while I’m gone. I can hardly believe that this time next week, I could have my vision back. Sam and Chase have made all the arrangements. We fly into New York on Sunday. My surgery is scheduled for Monday morning, bright and early. The recovery will require about a week in the hospital. Sam and Chase will be staying at a nearby hotel.

Tennyson has been pouting all week that she can’t go with me. She says, “I want to be the first face that you see.” I wish I could give her that, but there is a possibility that the surgery won’t work and I don’t want her there in case something goes wrong. I told her she needed to be a big girl and help take care of Nana.

The shop was super busy today so I’m closing later than normal. Chase left to run some errands, but not before leaving Tenny here with an ice cream cone. I sent her upstairs to my little loft to watch TV and finish her ice cream. Sam is on his way over to pick us up and take us to a movie.

The front door chimes and I realize I forgot to put up the Closed sign. “Hey, Sam, could you flip the sign to ‘closed’ and lock the door.”

He doesn’t answer, but I hear the sign hit the glass as it flips and the lock slide shut on the door. “How was your day?” I ask, moving around the counter. Fear floods me when I realize the person in front of me doesn’t smell at all like Sam. “Who’s here?”

“Someone you were never supposed to see again.” His voice is haunting. I stumble back against the counter. “A little birdy informed me that you will have your sight back soon.” His hand brushes against my arm.

Every part of me wants to run, but he has me cornered against the counter. “What do you want?” My voice is shaky.

“You know what I want. I told you I’d come back for you if you ever got your sight back. Did you think I wouldn’t have you watched?” He has a sick laugh.

“I won’t turn you in. Please, just leave me alone.” I beg him.

“Emma, I spilt ice cream all over my shirt.” My heart stops when I hear her voice.

“Who do we have here?” he moves toward her.

“Go back upstairs now,” I tell her, rage and fear burning in my veins.

“I didn’t mean to,” she says.

I hear him take a step in her direction and she screams. “Let her go,” I yell, reaching for him and digging my nails into his arm. He swings his arm back and his fist connects with my face. It knocks me over and my chin crashes against the counter on the way down. I can feel blood running warm and wet down my face before I even make it to the floor. Tennyson is screaming my name. I frantically try to get up as I hear the door unlocking, but I am still disoriented from his fist and fall back over, knocking over a rack of clothes. The door shuts with an ominous clang before I can get my legs under myself again.

“Tennyson!” I scream. I scramble off the floor and find the counter to reach for the phone. My hands are shaking so badly that I can’t find the right numbers. I hear the door open again and I yell her name again.

“What the hell happened?” Sam is holding me up and his hands are searching me for injuries. He lifts my chin and wipes it with his t-shirt.

“He was just here!” I cry and move his hand away. “The man that killed my parents was just in here. He took Tennyson.”

He reaches past me and dials 9-1-1. “Tell them what happened, I’m going after him.”

The door shuts as the 9-1-1 operator answers the phone. I’m crying so hard that she can’t understand me. She asks me to stop and take a breath and repeat myself. I explain through tears and sobs and she instructs me to stay on the line until the police arrive.

Minutes later Chase is busting through the door at the same time the police arrive. “What happened? I came around the corner and saw the police lights.”

I drop the phone and collapse into his arms. “Sam went after him,” I cry.

“After who?” He holds my face in his hands.

“The man that killed my parents came in here. He’d heard that I was getting my sight back. Tennyson came downstairs and he took her. I tried to stop him.” My entire body is shaking. “Sam came in shortly after it happened and he went after him.”

I feel soft material press against my chin. “We need to get you to the hospital.”

“I’m not going anywhere until I know Tennyson and Sam are safe.”

“I’ll go look for them,” he says.

“No! Not you, too!” I’m frantically holding onto him.

“Sam will find her. Let the police do their job. You and I are no good sitting here and you need stitches.”

“He’s right, ma’am. I wrote down everything you told him, all I need now is any description you can give me of the man.”

“He is about Chase’s height. He had thick arms and I left scratches on one of them. His voice is baritone, and he was wearing heavy boots.”

“That’s not much to go on,” the man says.

“It will have to be enough,” Chase yells at him, while picking me up off the floor.

Chase ushers me out the door and into his Camaro. “I don’t want to leave,” I tell him as I try to get back out.

He pushes me back inside and fastens my seat belt. “I’m taking you to the hospital, now quit fighting me.” He slams the door.