The morning after the storm, the rain had softened into a light mist that blanketed the city in gray. Owen rose early, moving quietly through his small apartment so as not to wake the children sleeping in the next room. The rhythmic clink of dishes and the soft hiss of coffee brewing filled the silence as he prepared a simple breakfast of toast and eggs.
The smell soon stirred the twins, Ava and Elodie, from their sleep. They looked a little brighter that morning — still fragile from the night before, but comforted by the warmth of the apartment. Nora, Owen’s daughter, greeted them with an infectious smile, beckoning the girls to join her at the table.
As they sat together, Owen decided to ask the question that had been on his mind. “Do you have a phone number, or maybe a place you can remember?” he asked gently, not wanting to frighten them.
Elodie, the chattier of the two, shook her head. “We only know he was at a big meeting, and then… we lost him in the crowd.”
Owen frowned, realizing just how little they knew. The city was vast, and without details, finding their father would be like searching for a single star in a cloudy sky. Still, the thought of the girls wandering the streets alone was unbearable.
He made the decision to stay home from work that day, calling the diner to say he was sick. The missed shift meant losing a day’s pay — a hard hit — but some things were more important than money. While the children drew pictures and watched cartoons, Owen sat at the kitchen table, planning his next step.
By the afternoon, he knew what he had to do. He bundled up the children and Nora in warm coats and headed out through the drizzle to the local police station, hoping someone had filed a missing persons report.
The station was busy — phones ringing, officers hurrying between desks. Owen explained the situation to the officer at the counter, who listened carefully before stepping away to make a call. Moments later, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the room.
A tall, sharply dressed man entered, his eyes scanning desperately — until they landed on the twins. Ava and Elodie gasped, and before Owen could speak, they sprinted across the room into the man’s waiting arms.
Their father’s face crumpled with relief. The embrace was tight, trembling, and filled with the raw emotion of a parent who had just found what mattered most.
