Chapter 3

Robert laughed again. Maya finally turned toward him. "I wasn't talking to you."The old woman nearby burst into laughter. Even Ethan smiled for the first time that day.Maya folded her arms. "I know people think I'm just a kid."Ethan raised an eyebrow. "And are they wrong?""Usually."That earned another laugh. But before Ethan could answer, a familiar voice interrupted:"Ethan."The warmth disappeared from his smile instantly."Claire."She approached from the path wearing an elegant cream-colored coat, her blonde hair moving gently in the wind. To anyone watching, she looked perfect: beautiful, graceful, devoted. The woman who had stayed by her fiancé's side through tragedy; the woman newspapers called inspiring; the woman everyone admired.Claire stopped beside the wheelchair. "Who's this?""Maya," Ethan said. "We were talking."Claire smiled politely. "Well, hello, Maya."Maya looked up at her. The smile vanished from the little girl's face: not fear, not dislike, but something else—recognition. A strange tension settled over her features. Claire noticed it, too; her expression tightened almost imperceptibly.Then Ethan said it: "Maya says she can help me walk again."The reaction lasted less than a second. Most people would have missed it; Ethan almost did. Almost.Claire's smile froze. Her eyes widened. Her face lost color—only for a heartbeat. Then the expression vanished; the perfect smile returned.But Ethan had seen it. And so had Maya.The little girl didn't take her eyes off Claire. Neither of them spoke. The air suddenly felt colder."That's..." Claire said carefully, "...that's a very imaginative thing to say."Maya remained silent. Claire looked down at her; Maya looked right back. For reasons Ethan couldn't explain, the moment felt wrong: strange, charged, as if two people were having a conversation without words.Finally, Claire laughed softly. "Come on, Ethan. We should get going."Ethan continued studying her. The reaction had been tiny. Maybe nothing. Maybe he imagined it. Still... why had she looked frightened?

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