She tried to protest, but he lifted his hand gently. “Come with me,” he said. “Please.”
Minutes later, Felicity found herself seated inside the vehicle, hands folded tightly in her lap as they drove away from the only life she had known. As they passed the unfinished building, she saw Harold sitting where he always sat, eating slowly from a plastic container.
Aaron noticed her gaze. “We are picking him up now,” he said softly.
They stopped, and when Harold saw the unfamiliar men, panic filled his eyes. He tried to stand, failed, and clutched his container like a shield.
Aaron approached carefully. “Dad,” he said quietly.
Harold recoiled. “Leave me alone.”
Felicity rushed forward, kneeling beside him. “It is okay,” she said gently. “You are safe.”
Harold recognized her voice immediately. His fear eased just enough to breathe.
“Felicity,” he whispered.
Aaron watched with stunned silence as his father clung to her hand.
“She will come with us,” Aaron said slowly. “You can hold her hand the whole way.”
Harold nodded, trusting her completely.