While other kids his age might not grasp the concept of death, Nn was different. He understood it all too clearly.


    One night, after Fitch had one too many drinks, he pulled out a single printed photo of Zoey, wiping away tears over and over as hey in bed. Nn had woken up then, peering with wide, curious eyes at the woman in the picture. "That''s your mommy," Fitch had told him, his voice a mix of sorrow and love.


    Fitch had deleted all the photos of Zoey from his phone, everyst one. This photo was the only one he had, begged from Maja after enduring her snide remarks. And it was the first time Nn hadid eyes on his mother. He''d often wondered what she looked like, why she never came to visit him. Did she think she was too ugly? But the woman in the photo was clearly gentle and beautiful.


    "Nn, daddy''s sorry. Your mommy... she''s gone to a ce far, far away and she''s noting back," Fitch had exined, the weight of the truth heavy in his heart. Nn had seen enough TV to know what that meant. Buried in the ground, an eternal separation between heaven and earth. She really wasn''ting back. After that, Nn never asked to see his mommy again.


    But now, he insisted she was alive, just like the woman in the photo. When Fitch heard those words, his heart skipped a beat, followed by a bitter taste in his mouth. He''d forgotten about showing Nn the photo while drunk, but Nn remembered her face instantly. In Fitch''s mind, Nn had never met Zoey, so the boy must be confused.


    Maybe the Haskins family was right; maybe it was time to find Nn a mother figure. His withdrawal could very well be due to theck of a woman''s presence at home. Fitch''s demeanor softened as he turned to the music shop owner with a business-like coldness. "Please deliver it to this address."


    "Of course, Mr. Haskins. Take care," the owner replied with a smile. Lifting Nn into his arms, the boy instinctively wrapped his arms around his neck, his gaze still fixed on Henry. The music shop owner patted Henry''s shoulder, beaming with pride. "Lucky you came back! You yed beautifully. I hear you''re seeing someone special?"


    "Yeah, it''s still early days, but she''s a great person." "If you say she''s great, she must be. It''s about time, isn''t it? A man your age should be settling down." Henry nodded, his eyes inadvertently drifting back to the little boy who was still watching him with those meaningful eyes.


    Once in the car, Nn spoke up again. "Mommy''s alive. I saw her." Fitch, who was reaching for a tissue to wipe Nn''s fingers, froze at his words, his lips pressing into a thin line. "Who told you mommy was dead? She just went to a very far ce," Fitch corrected gently.


    "Daddy, I saw Zoey." This time Nn didn''t say ''mommy'' but called her by her name, Zoey-a name Fitch had never mentioned in front of the child. The word seemed to choke Fitch, as if someone was squeezing his throat. It had been the most Nn had spoken in a long time, a clear sign of his anxious heart.


    Looking down, Fitch''s hand stilled. "You know Zoey is your mommy?" Nn nodded, pointing to the spot where Zoey had stood just moments before. Fitch''s hand clenched as his face paled. "Do you know what Zoey looks like?" Again, Nn nodded, pulling out the photo he''d been carrying.


    Fitch''s eyes dted in shock. That


    photo was from their home in Greenfield, ced well beyond a child''s reach, and now here it was in Zion City, quietly kept with Nn all this time. Fitch''s eyes reddened as he looked away, overwhelmed by a sudden, bone-deep pain that spread from the crown of his head to the tips of his fingers. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Nn, gazing out the window, whispered, "She looks the same... like mommy." Before Fitch could marvel at the number of words Nn had spoken, he pulled his son into a tight embrace. Nn still clutched the photo, careful not to crease it, a gesture that pierced Fitch''s heart anew.