The ride back to Ethan’s territory was tense. I switched between twisting around in my seat to make sure my mother was comfortable, and watching the rear view mirrors to make sure no one was following us. Ethan alternated between driving like a madman to get us out of that territory just a little bit faster, and slowing down to blend into traffic and hopefully lose any pursuit.
I don’t think I took a full breath until we crossed into Ethan’s territory. I know I was only able relax when we saw Ethan’s hospital.
My mother groaned at the sight. I took her hand.
“This is a good place,” I promised.
“You were actually here, very briefly,” Ethan added. “Your daughter started her search here, and followed every lead until she found you.”
“I never gave up on you,” I said.
My mother nodded and
