Rule One: Don't Fall

“Baby handsome, come to Ninang! Come here!” I heard Jesher calling out to my son. I looked at her and shot her a glare. She just raised a brow at me. “Come on, let’s go buy you a toy. You wanted that Harry Potter magic wand, right?” she said, trying to lure my son into going with her. My son’s face instantly lit up. “Really, Ninang?!” he said with sparkling eyes. His voice was so sweet—so baby-like. And with those chubby cheeks of his… he's just so cute.. The smile slowly faded from my face as I stared at him. I can’t deny it—he looks just like his father. Especially those eyes. They were exactly the same as his. I let out a deep breath as I thought about what might happen if he ever found out about my son. I couldn’t help but feel scared sometimes—for my child. He never asked about his dad, not even once. But I know the day will come when he will… and when that time comes, I’ll be ready. "Are you okay?" I shifted my gaze away from my son when Jesher asked me that. I froze for a few seconds before I nodded. "Hmm. Yeah." "Sure?" She raised an eyebrow. "Yes! And where are you planning to take my son this time?" I changed the topic on purpose. "I'm buying him some toys! Right, baby boy?" She scooped up my son and peppered his cheeks with kisses. I rolled my eyes at her. "I'm telling you—we're in a mall! If you lose him, I swear I will never let you take care of him again!" I warned her. It’s not that I don’t trust her, she's my best friend… well, sometimes she really doesn’t look trustworthy—I mean, it’s not like I don’t want her watching my son, it’s just that I know how hyper and curious my son is, especially with anything new around him. He really needs to be watched carefully, or else he’ll wander off somewhere. "Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him," Jesher said with a pout. I looked at her, disgusted. "Promise!" She raised her palm. "Come on, mommy. Please?" I shot Jesher a glare, because now even my son was starting to copy her antics. "See? Even my sugarplum is begging now. Just say yes already, my friend." I gave Jesher a sharp look before turning to my son, who was now giving me full-on puppy eyes. He’s so cute—oh my gosh, I can’t believe this is my son. “Come on, my friend,” she said with a pout. Did she really think that pout made her look cute? I sneered. “Fine!” I said. And just like that, both of them cheered like they had won the lottery. Gosh. In the end, I gave in. She might start kneeling in front of me again just to beg, and honestly? That would be so embarrassing. "Just take care of my son, okay?" I reminded Jesher. "Copy! I’ll call you later.” Before they left, I told her I was going to buy groceries. I headed inside the grocery store. The first section I went to was the fruits and vegetables. We had already run out of most of them at home. I’m planning to cook Sinigang for dinner, so I also grabbed some frozen goods. It was my son's request—so why not? I didn’t know how long I spent picking out vegetables. When it comes to buying them, I don’t just throw anything into the cart without checking. I always make sure everything looks fresh and has no damage—just like how I shop for other things that matter. Ever since my son came into my life, I’ve always made sure he eats and drinks healthy. Thank God, I’ve been successful with that. He loves vegetables—and fruits too. I was busy choosing meat when my phone suddenly rang, so I quickly searched for it in my bag. Jesher was calling. "I'm still inside the—” I didn’t even get to finish my sentence because she spoke first, and her voice was shaking. “Lei, L-Lance is m-missing. I-I don’t know where he went.” “Where’s my son, Jesh?” I asked, trying hard to keep my voice calm. “L-Lei… I-I don’t know. He was just here earlier. I swear,” she said, her voice trembling with fear. My eyes widened. My heart started racing fast. My hands suddenly felt cold. “I-I’m sorry, Lei. I’ve been looking for him for 20 minutes. I even asked around, but they said they didn’t see any kid—” I cut her off. “W-Where the heck are you, Jesh?” I asked, panicking. “D-Department store.” My son is missing? I didn’t even think twice. I dropped everything in my cart and sprinted out of the meat section like a madwoman. People were probably staring, but I couldn’t care less. My son was missing. My hands were shaking as I tried to hold onto my phone and my bag at the same time. My legs felt like they were about to give out, but I pushed through. I needed to get to him. Now. I could barely think straight. Where would he go? Was someone with him? Did he wander off? My heart was pounding so loud I could barely hear myself breathe. This mall is so huge! I don’t know what to do! Oh my gosh! Please, God, help me. “Lance?! Where are you?” I started shouting his name, not caring about the people staring at me. They were on the second floor while I was on the first. I just wanted to make sure my son didn’t come down here to the ground floor. I even asked every person I passed if they had seen a little boy. But all I got was shaking heads. “Please, don’t make mommy worry. Please,” I whispered to myself. When I reached the department store, I spotted Jesher pacing back and forth near the kids’ section, her face pale and filled with worry. The moment she saw me, she ran up, nearly in tears. “I’m sorry, Lei. I just—I just looked away for seconds. He was here, I swear—he was playing with that toy car over there and then when I looked again, he was gone.” I didn’t say anything right away. I couldn’t. And then I did the only thing I could. I started calling out his name. “Lance! Baby, where are you?! Mommy’s here!” “I-I'm sorry, Lei.” I turned to Jesher. “Did you check the fitting rooms? The restroom? What about the exits?!” She nodded frantically. “I already asked the staff. They’re helping me look. I told the guards too. Lei, I’m so sorry—” I held up a hand. “We’ll talk later. Right now, I just need to find my son.” I stormed down the aisle, shouting his name over and over. The fear in my chest only grew with every second that passed. We’d been looking for my son for several minutes already, but there was still no sign of him. My throat felt dry from calling his name. My legs hurt from running around. Everywhere I looked—nothing. “Jesher,” I called out when I saw her. I could see the worry all over her face when she turned to me. She ran towards me. “Jesher, where’s my son?!” My voice is shaking. I couldn't help, I'm already panicking. “I-I’m sorry, Lei… but I already called the guards. They said… they said they’ll have it announced here in the mall.” “Oh my gosh…” I ran my hands down my face, not knowing what to do anymore. “My son… m-my s-son is missing, J-Jesh. I-I don’t… I don’t know what to do.” My hands were trembling as I covered my mouth. Jesher placed her hands on my shoulders. “I know I should not tell you this… but don’t worry, Lei. I sent bodyguards. I told them to guard all entrances and exits in the mall. I also asked someone to check the CCTV footage.” She tried to reassure me. But no matter what she said, I couldn’t stop worrying. “What if… what if something bad happened to him, Jesh? I don’t know what to do. He’s the only hope I have left, and you know that.” “I know. I know. Calm down, okay?” I shook my head. “My son is missing, Jesh! How can you expect me to calm down?! He disappeared while he was with you!” The words just came out of my mouth. “I—I know, and I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to keep myself together. “You know what… let’s just focus on finding my son. But I’m not taking back what I said, Jesh. I left him with you safe and sound. That’s how you should’ve returned him to me. But now… he’s missing.” “I—I understand, Lei. I’m really sorry,” she said, her voice shaky as she lowered her head. I could tell she was about to cry. I took another deep breath. “Don’t cry. I’m the one who should be crying right now. I’m the one losing my child.” She pouted. “He’s my godchild too…” she answered, voice still cracking. I mentally rolled my eyes. We kept asking around, hoping someone might’ve seen my son. The announcement had already gone out over the mall speakers. But it was frustrating—people seemed like they weren’t even listening! It's making me insane. I had searched almost every corner of the mall—every store, every restroom, even behind the kiosks—but my son was nowhere to be found. My heart was pounding like a drum, and my hands were shaking. He’s only four. Too young to be alone, too small to be wandering in such a huge place like this. I didn’t care about the rules anymore. When I saw a hallway marked ‘Authorized Personnel Only,’ I didn’t even hesitate. I’m a mother—I’ll go anywhere and break any rule just to find my child. I kept walking, eyes scanning every corner, until I heard a voice. “I’m looking for my mommy.” That tiny voice. My heart almost broke. He sounded like he was about to cry. It came from the hallway to the right. Without thinking twice, I rushed towards it, nearly stumbling from how fast I was moving. And then I saw him. My son. But what stopped me in my tracks wasn’t just the relief of seeing him. It was the man standing in front of him. “This is not a place to look for your mom, kid,” the man said, his voice calm—too calm. That voice. So familiar. My entire body froze. That back, the way he stood, even the shape of his shoulders—I knew it. I will never forget it, even after all these years. I didn’t need to see his face to recognize who he was. It was him. The man I never wanted to see again. The man I had tried so hard to erase from my life. And now... he was standing in front of my son. Talking to him. A cold chill ran down my spine. My knees felt weak. I could feel the memories clawing their way back, the ones I had buried deep. All the pain he caused, all the wounds I tried so hard to heal—they came rushing back in an instant. I wanted to run and grab my son and pull him away. But I was frozen in place, overwhelmed by fear and fury. Because no matter how much I hated that man… he still had a right to my son. “Mommy!” I was shocked when my son called out to me. Just a moment ago, he sounded like he was about to cry—but now, his face lit up the moment he saw me. He’s smiling now. I should be happy I found him—but I couldn’t even smile back. I just stood there, frozen. The man in front of him turned around, and our eyes met. I could tell he was smiling as he spoke to my son, but that smile slowly faded when he saw me. I saw the shock in his eyes, before he looked back at my child. “Mommy! Mommy!” My son ran straight into my arms.