“Eliza, hi,” he said.
She didn’t respond, absorbed in her loud conversation.
Eric tried again, louder this time. “Eliza.”
She turned, finally noticing him. “What do you want, kid?”
“I…I’m your son,” Eric said quietly.
“I don’t have any kids.”
Desperate, he held up the photo again.
“It’s me. See? Eliza and Eric,” he said.
“Thought I got rid of you,” she muttered, taking a long drink from a bottle.
Eric’s voice trembled.
“I just wanted to meet you.”
Eliza looked him over with a smirk. “Fine. Sit down, then.
Maybe you’ll be useful.” Her friends chuckled, and Eric sank awkwardly into a chair, feeling out of place.
After some time, Eliza looked around the diner, glancing toward the counter. “Alright, time to leave. Let’s get out before the old man catches on.”
The group started to stand up, gathering their things.
Eric, feeling uneasy, looked at Eliza. “But you haven’t paid,” he said.
Eliza rolled her eyes. “Kid, that’s not how the world works if you want to survive.
You’ll learn that,” she replied.
Eric hesitated, reaching into his backpack. He pulled out some cash, ready to leave it on the table, but before he could, Eliza snatched it from his hand and shoved it into her pocket.
As they headed toward the door, the old man behind the counter noticed. “Hey!
You didn’t pay!” he shouted angrily.
“Run!” Eliza shouted, dashing out the door. The group bolted, and Eric had no choice but to follow. Outside, he noticed police lights flashing nearby.
As Eliza ran past him, she shoved him, and he felt something slip from his pocket.
“Mom!” he called, desperate, hoping she’d turn back.
But Eliza didn’t stop. “I told you—I don’t have any kids!” she shouted over her shoulder, disappearing into the night.
A police car pulled up beside Eric. He stopped, knowing he couldn’t outrun them.
The window rolled down, and one of the officers leaned out, squinting at him.
“Hey, isn’t this the kid they mentioned?” the officer asked his partner.
The other officer looked Eric over and nodded. “Yep, that’s him. Alright, kid, get in the car.”
Eric’s heart pounded.
“I didn’t do anything wrong,” he said, his voice trembling. “I tried to pay, but she took my money. I can call my parents—they’ll come get me.”
He reached into his pocket, only to find it empty.
Panic rose as he realized his phone was gone, too. Tears filled his eyes. “Please, you have to believe me.
I didn’t do anything.”
One of the officers got out, placing a hand on Eric’s shoulder. “Come on, son.” Gently, he guided Eric into the backseat as Eric’s tears fell silently.
At the police station, Eric expected the worst, but instead, they led him to a small room with a warm cup of tea. Glancing up, his heart skipped when he saw the Johnsons talking with an officer nearby.
Mila was in Mr. Johnson’s arms, and Mrs. Johnson looked worried, her eyes darting around the room.
The moment Mrs.
Johnson spotted him, she gasped, rushing over and wrapping her arms tightly around him. “Eric! You scared us so much!” she said, her voice shaking.
“We thought something terrible had happened when we saw you were gone. We called the police right away.”
Mr. Johnson approached, holding Mila close.
“Eric, why did you run off like that?” he asked.
Eric swallowed, looking down. “I just… I wanted parents of my own. I thought finding my mom would change things, but she… she wasn’t what I thought,” he admitted.
Mrs.
Johnson’s face softened as she squeezed his hand. “Eric, it hurts to hear that,” she said gently. “We consider ourselves your parents.”
Mr.
Johnson nodded. “We’re sorry if we didn’t make that clear.”
Eric looked at them. “I thought… maybe you’d want to get rid of me now that you have Mila,” he confessed.
Mrs.
Johnson pulled him into another hug, her arms warm and steady. “Parents don’t give up on their children, Eric.”
“You’re as much our child as Mila is,” Mr. Johnson added.
“That’s never going to change.”
Eric’s tears fell, his heart finally feeling the love they’d always given. “This whole trip was actually for you,” Mr. Johnson explained.
“You wanted to go camping, so we made it a special occasion.”
“A special occasion?” Eric asked, wiping his eyes.
“To tell you that we want you to officially be our son,” Mr. Johnson said with a smile.
“All the paperwork is ready, but only if you want it,” Mrs. Johnson added, her voice soft.
Eric didn’t need to answer in words; he hugged them both, realizing he had found his real family.
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Source: amomama
