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Anastasia knew she was forgetting something as she gathered up her backpack, turned diaper bag, and headed for the door. She was almost to the front door when she realized Simon was still playing in the living room.

Silently cursing herself, Stasia turned and jogged back toward the living room. On the other side of the gate, she spotted Simon pushing his little toy cars around on the carpet, making strange noises that made her smile.

Climbing over the gate, Stasia stepped toward him and scooped him before. “You ready to go help Mommy get groceries?” she asked, and he bobbed his head. “Good boy.” She kissed him on the cheek before climbing over the gate again.

It would have been nice to have one where it could just be opened, but that one had only lasted about a week before Simon figured out how to open it, and Gregory had found this one instead. Hopefully, it would keep him out of trouble at least for a little bit longer.

Placing Simon on her hip, Stasia started toward the front door again and headed out to her car. It took her longer than she'd ever admit to get Simon buckled in, but once she was done she got into the driver’s seat and headed toward the nearest grocery store as Simon jabbered in the back about his toys.

He’d quieted down by the time they reached the store, and Stasia glanced through the mirror to see him fast asleep. He looked so adorable with his little face scrunched up, but she knew she’d have to wake him once they reached the store. 

Pushing down the guilt, Stasia pulled to a stop as close to the front of the store as she could before climbing out and pulling Simon out of his car seat. He let out a small yawn before nestling against her, it didn’t take more than five steps away from the car before he was wide awake and looking around, and Stasia settled him on her hip again

“Mommy, can we get Eis am Stiel?” Simon asked, sticking out his bottom lip as he clung to her arm.

Stasia chuckled before tapping him on the nose. “Those eyes of yours are going to get you into trouble one day. Alright, we can get popsicles.”

Simon squealed. “Yummy, yummy!”

As soon as they entered the store, Simon began squirming in her arms. “Mommy, down please.”

Stasia hesitated a second before setting him on the ground. “Alright, but you have to hold my hand.”

“Okay,” Simon said, grinning as he happily took her hand and began tugging her along into the store.

Chuckling, Stasia shook her head. “Simon, I’m pretty sure we don’t need anything down the pet aisle. Come on, let’s get the food on Mommy’s list, then we’ll grab us some of those Eis am Stiel, alright?”

Even as the words left her mouth, Stasia couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching them.

Simon pouted slightly, then nodded. “Okay.”

“Thank you, солнышко,” she whispered, kissing Simon on the top of the head before scooping him up and moving back over to deposit him into one of the baskets. 

If someone was watching them, she was going to keep Simon out of trouble the best she could.

“Now…” she said, shoving the cart toward the far side of the store. “Apples or pears?”

* * *

With Simon’s input, they soon had the cart full and headed to the register. 

“I want out,” Simon moaned as she moved to pull their groceries out. “Mommy!”

“Alright, alright!” Stasia said, sighing as she pulled the last of the groceries out and moved toward him. “I’m going to take you out, but I don’t want to move away from this cart all right?”

Simon bobbed his head, and Stasia hesitated a second before picking him up and placing him beside the cart. She took his hand and placed it onto the cart. “Do not move.”

“Okay, Mommy,” Simon said, smiling.

Stasia ruffled up his hair before stepping away and to the register, where the cashier was ringing them out. “Hello.”

“Hi,” he said, nodding to her as he moved the groceries across the scanner. “Is that all?” he asked as he finished packing them up.

“Yes, that’s it,” Stasia said, reaching for the bags. “Simon…” She turned back toward the cart, but Simon wasn’t there. “Simon?” She dumped the bags into the cart as she swept her gaze around.

How did she not realize he’d left?

Forcing himself to remain calm, Stasia dashed away from the register and began looking around. Where could he have gone? Why… The person watching them! She knew she shouldn’t have ignored that!

“God, what do I do!” she gasped out as she tried to get her brain to work.

It was at that moment she heard a scream that nearly made her heart stop. “Mommy!”

Without thinking about what she was doing, Stasia bolted in the direction of the sound, slipping  through the automatic doors before they could even open fully.

There was movement out of the corner of her eye, and she turned toward the side just in time to spot a figure slipping around the side of a van.

For the first time in a long time, Anastasia was grateful for the fact she no longer wore heels as she ran as fast as her feet would carry her toward the van.

“Hey!” she yelled as she skidded around the side of it just in time to see a middle-aged man shoving Simon into the van, a hand clasped over her baby boy’s mouth a cloth in his hand.

Simon was fighting the man’s grip, but he was two. There was no way he could break himself free. 

A second later, Simon went limp, and the man tossed him into the van as he turned toward Stasia. “Now, girly, I don’t think you want to get involved in this,” he said, drawing his jacket back so she could see his gun.

Stasia gritted her teeth together. “He’s my son.”

The man shrugged. “Well, if you live, you can just make a new one. This one’s going with me.”

Straightening out her jacket, Stasia smiled at him. “That was the wrong response.” The next second, she lunged forward, ducking as the man sloppily punched out at her.

She stood back up quickly, caught his wrist, pivoted around, and twisted his arm into a painful angle. The man cried out in pain, but Stasia ignored him as she bent forward and threw him over her shoulder.

Twisting around again, Stasia planted her foot against his chest, bending his arm until he cried out in pain again, but she didn’t miss the way he scrambled for his gun with his other hand.

“You are a disgusting piece of trash,” she spat, slamming the toe of her shoe into him, causing the man to curl up in pain. Then before the man could even think to do anything with his gun, Stasia knelt down and grabbed him by the scruff of the head, and slammed his head back against the ground.

As soon as she was sure he was out cold, Stasia scrambled toward the van and bent inside. Curled up on the dirty carpet, Simon lay unconscious.

Stasia quickly scooped him up and cradled him against her chest, feeling hisbreathing making it easier for her to breathe. 

“It’s okay, baby,” she whispered, kissing him on the forehead and the top of the head several times before stepping away from the van. “Mommy’s got you.”

Glancing back over at the unconscious kidnapper, Stasia fought the urge to make him pay for what he’d done. 

Instead, she fished her phone out and quickly dialed 9-1-1.

“9-1-1 dispatch, what is your emergency.”

“Hello, a man just tried to kidnap my… my son,” she said, squeezing her eyes shut. “He… he’s drugged, and I need someone to make sure he’s alright.”

“What happened to the kidnapper?”

Stasia opened her eyes and grimaced. “He’s currently alive. But if you’re not here soon, I’m not so sure that will be the case.”

“Mommy...?”

Dropping her phone, Stasia turned her full attention to Simon as he stirred in her arms. “I’m here, солнышко, I’m here,” she said, wrapping her arms around him as she rocked him and kissed him again. “I love you so much.”

“Mommy!” Simon began to cry as he threw his arms around her neck and buried his face against the crook of her neck. 

“Мой ребенок.” She kissed him on the side of the face, and it was then she realized she was crying too. I’m sorry. She was a horrible mother!

What kind of mother lets their baby be taken like this?! Simon deserved better. 

A police siren cut through Stasia’s thoughts as she pushed those thoughts away as she just held Simon tightly against herself. But even still, she silently promised Simon that she would never let anything like this happen again.

He was her baby boy, and Stasia knew that she would die before she let anyone hurt him again.