“Where’s everyone, aunt Lizzy?” Little Hera asked as soon as Liezel opened the door-lock and they stepped into their small flat of one bedroom, one bathroom, a tiny kitchen, and a small living hall. It was a rented apartment, and they were living there for the past six months. 

“Uncle Tony and Ben went out to fetch your birthday gift, Hera,” Liezel answered, setting the shopping bag on the kitchen counter. She bought the ingredients to bake a birthday cake for Hera after they visited the Church. “Where’s aunt Jenny and Danny?” Hera questioned her again. Liezel rolled her eyes before smiling sweetly at Hera. 

She turned to face little Hera before she could ask her next question. “You’re one bundle of questions, sweet Hera,” she cooed, pinching Hera’s chubby cheeks. “Aunt Jenny and Danny have a surprise for you, but you’ve to wait to know what the surprise is going to be,” she said, kissing her cheeks and walked out of the small kitchen. 

Liezel picked up the empty coffee cups from the table placed in front of the small couch and scowled when she saw the cigarette butts on the floor. Muttering something to herself, she cleaned the hall and washed the cups. Meanwhile, Hera followed her everywhere, holding the hem of her long skirt.. 

“Why don’t you bring your sketchbook and colour the pictures while I bake a cake for you?” Liezel suggested, using the towel to dry the utensils. Clapping her hands, Hera jumped in joy before she ran to fetch her art book. She came running back within a minute. “Aunt Lizzy, can I use Danny’s colours, please?” Hera requested with a toothy grin. Her aunt smiled at the adorable puppy face she made and nodded a yes.

Hera went back to the bedroom to bring the colour pencils. It was in the top row of the wooden rack, and she couldn’t reach it. She dragged a stool nearby and carefully climbing on it she took the colours. She thought of the chocolate that she’d kept in her little fanny pack and took it out, unwrapping the chocolate bar. She ate it and giggled, covering her mouth with her palm as she saw the neat cursive handwriting. 

Searching under her neatly folded clothes on the rack, she took out the first chocolate wrapper he’d given to her. Kissing the new wrapper, she hid it under her clothes along with the old one. 

Hera came back to the hall with her sketchbook and colours. Liezel watched as Hera sat on the floor, bending her head and soon got lost in her world of colours. 

A sad smile made its way onto Liezel’s face.

‘Danny is going to be upset when he gets to know that I let Hera use his colours.’ 

Her only son hated her. He preferred going out with his aunt Jenny rather than staying with his mother. He didn’t even spend his holidays with her. He’s angry with his parents because they sent him to boarding school. He blamed Hera for everything. He thought they abandoned him for Hera. Little did he know that his parents were always on the run to save their lives. 

They sent him to boarding school to keep him safe. It killed Liezel not to witness her only son growing up. Even Benson hated Hera for this. They wouldn’t be able to cherish their son’s precious childhood. Because they’re busy hiding from the dangerous men hunting them since the day Hera came into their lives. 

Liezel kept herself busy in the kitchen, but the haunting past didn’t stop messing with her mind. Adding the eggs and vanilla, she started stirring in the cake flour absent-mindedly. 

Everything was playing on repeat mode in front of her eyes, and the illusion clouded her sense. She saw, how they escaped from that terrifying gunshots, and how they rescued little Hera. When they managed to somehow reach home without being killed, the first thing Benson did was to tear open the envelope, pulling out its contents.

The first thing to slip out of that envelope was a copy of the birth certificate, and they came to know that the baby was six months old. There wasn’t any name written to show parents’ name. The baby’s name was Hera Hunter, and the only other name gracing the birth certificate was, “A. Hunter” the signature of Hera’s legal guardian.

The envelope also contained a passport of baby Hera, and it revealed the name of the parents as Alexander Hunter and Felicity Hunter. 

There also was a handwritten letter ending with that same signature. The letter said that the baby’s life was in danger, and they should protect and keep it safe from the attacking enemies until he comes to take the baby’s custody.

Every word in the letter spoke with so much authority that it’s crystal clear the person behind those words was not an ordinary man. Anyone could sense how dangerously powerful the said person was.

Benson and Antony visited the said address the very next day only to find themselves walking straight into the death trap. They witnessed another episode of gunshots.

They couldn’t differentiate between Hera’s rescuers and enemies. They heard someone’s rich, deadly voice, issuing orders to kill everyone who’s associated with the baby. And suddenly, they were being shot from every direction. 

At that moment, their only concern was to save themselves from being killed, and so they fled from that unfortunate, unfavourable scene without looking back.

“They came, they’re here, aunt Lizzy.” 

Hera’s excited cry of joy jolted Liezel out of her illusion, bringing her back to the present. She blinked several times, trying to block the unpleasant memories, and looked at the little bundle of excitement. A smile automatically lit up her face. 

‘Oh, what an energetic child!’ 

“Hurry, aunt Lizzy. I want to see my gift,” Hera said, pulling Liezel by her wrist and urged her to move fast. Liezel heard the doorbell ringing again and understood the reason for Hera’s impatience. “Hera, calm down, sweety. Let me wash my hands, and I’ll check the door okay,” she said, and Hera nodded her head, bobbing it up and down. Liezel smiled secretly, knowing how excited Hera was.