Chapter 557
“Here, look at these two group photos,” Tobias said, flipping through the album. “I was there too.”
Caitlin and Sebastian followed the direction of his finger and immediately spotted him seated in the front center of the group, clearly in a position of authority as the head of the center.
Tobias shifted his hand, pointing to the second row toward the back, about six people in from the left. “That’s Ellie. Take a look–do you recognize her?”
Caitlin leaned in. The photo was wide–angled and filled with people, making it difficult to make out individual faces.
Tobias handed her a magnifying glass. Caitlin carefully zoomed in on the woman he’d indicated. When the image finally came into sharp focus, her heart clenched as if scorched by fire–sharp, sudden, and burning.
It was her mother.
No doubt about it.
Ellie was her mother.
“Yes, it’s her! That’s my mother!”
Caitlin lifted her head, her voice trembling with emotion. She could hardly contain her joy. After so long, she had finally confirmed her mother’s whereabouts and found the place where she had last
been.
Sebastian felt a renewed sense of hope rise in his chest. If she was alive, there was still a chance.
Caitlin took a picture of the group photo with her phone and turned back to Tobias. “Tobias, when my mother was discharged, how was her mental state?”
“With our treatment plan, she showed considerable improvement. The depression didn’t vanish completely, but it was much better than when she first arrived,” Tobias recalled.
“During her stay, did anyone besides Parker ever visit her? Did she ever act strangely?”
“She was very withdrawn, rarely spoke. There were a few instances where she attempted suicide, but we were able to intervene each time. After each episode, Parker would come and take her away for a few days, then bring her back. We never knew where he took her or what they did.”
Caitlin’s brow furrowed deeply as she listened. This only added to her unease.
Who was Parker? And what was he doing with her mother during those absences?
She had all the answers she could get for now. Caitlin stood and extended her hand. “Thank you,
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Tobias. You’ve given me so much valuable information–I truly appreciate your help.”
“It was my pleasure, Miss Esme. I hope you find your mother soon.”
“Thank you.”
After shaking hands, Caitlin added, “Before we go, could we visit Ida for a moment?”
“Of course. I’ll have someone take you.”
Tobias called in his assistant, who escorted them to Ida’s room.
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The facility didn’t feel like a typical hospital. Each room was designed to resemble a warm, welcoming home, filled with personal touches to make patients feel at ease.
Ida’s room was painted in a soft, minty green. Cute decorations and plush toys adorned the space, adding a sense of comfort.
They found Ida seated at a table, focused on a rehabilitation exercise. She was trying to drop small wooden beads into a hole at the top of a wooden container.
For someone healthy, it would’ve been effortless. But Ida’s condition, caused by damage to her cerebellum, made even this simple task nearly impossible. Her hand trembled, and each bead missed its mark.
Caitlin walked over, picked up a bead from the floor, and handed it to her.
When Ida looked up and recognized her, she jumped in surprise. “Is it true? Can you really make my wish come true?”
She still believed Caitlin was from the “Wish Fulfillment Bureau,” and her eyes held a fragile hope.
“Of course I can.”
Caitlin knew it had started as a lie to save her, but now she genuinely wanted to help this girl,
She gently took Ida’s hand and helped her place a bead through the hole, then smiled. “But I need you to tell me your brother’s name. The more details you can give me, the better my chances of finding him.”
“My name is Ida. My brother’s name is Neil
“Those are beautiful names. Let me write that down.”
Caitlin pulled out her notebook and began jotting down everything Ida told her–names, ages,
hometown.
Through their conversation, Caitlin learned how close the siblings had been. Neil, twelve years older, had raised Ida after their parents died. He had spent years seeking the best neurologists in
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the world to treat her.
He wasn’t just her brother. He was her entire world.
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“Your brother clearly loves you very much. Do you have a photo of him? That would help a lot.”
“I don’t have any recent pictures, but I have one from when we were little.”
Ida handed her a precious old photo. She was three years old in it, her arms still intact, while Neil was a lanky fifteen–year–old with soft, youthful features.
“I’ll take a photo of it,” Caitlin said, snapping a picture before carefully returning the original.
“Ida, I’ve written everything down. I also have the number for the center here. As soon as I find your brother, I’ll call and let you know.”
“Okay! Thank you. Thank you so much!”
A shy but genuine smile appeared on Ida’s face–like a bloom after a long winter. She looked like someone who, for the first time in a long time, had something to look forward to.
“I’m going to find your brother. You just keep working hard, okay?”
“I will!”
They hugged. Before Caitlin turned to leave, she paused. “Is there something small you can give me? Something I can show your brother so he’ll believe I’m telling the truth?”
Ida thought for a moment, then removed a small bear–shaped hair clip from her hair. “My brother gave me this. He’ll know it’s mine.”
“Perfect. I’ll bring this to him. Take care, Ida.”
“Goodbye!”
Ida walked them to the door. As Caitlin and Sebastian stepped out of the building, she watched from the second–floor window, waving goodbye,
Once back in the car, James could barely contain his anticipation. “Well? Did you find anything?”