The Flower Bloomed Sixty Times

The next afternoon, Xena packed her things. She planned to stay one night at the Xander family villa and then head straight to get the divorce settled.

Julian suddenly burst in with Moon. He looked more anxious than she had ever seen him.

“The teacher said you picked up Zayden and Yannick at noon?”

“What?” Xena froze for a moment. “No, I didn’t.”

Julian grabbed her wrist. His eyes were sharp. “The teacher said you called the school at lunchtime and told them to send the boys home. They still haven’t returned.”

Moon ran forward with tears streaming down her face. “Ms. Xander, I know you were upset this morning when you heard I was going to the parent-teacher meeting with Julian. Did you hide them somewhere?”

“Xena!” Julian squeezed her wrist painfully. “The boys like Moon and want to be close to her. That has nothing to do with you. Why would you do this?

“Where did you hide them?”

“I didn’t.” Xena frowned. Her heart started racing, and she said anxiously, “I neither called the school nor picked them up. Could something have happened to them?”

Julian stared at her. When he saw the genuine worry in her eyes, he finally let go.

“Search for them! I’m going to call the police.”

He grabbed Moon’s hand and ran downstairs. His car was parked at the gate. They got in and drove off.

Xena ran out after them. Panic made her heart race. Her arms and legs felt weak, and she could barely stand.

She bit her tongue and forced herself to stay calm. She asked the neighbors to help search for them. Then, she rode her bicycle to all the places the boys usually went. She checked each spot and called out their names.

The world felt silent and colorless. All she could see in her mind were her two children.

She remembered how they looked as babies, how they babbled, how they took their first steps, and how they once promised to protect her.

Even if they did not like her, even if they were ungrateful, even if she had decided not to love them anymore, she was still their mother. She wanted to cut ties with her children, but she also wanted them to be safe and happy.

Tears ran down Xena’s face as her body shook. She rode her bicycle and searched for them everywhere.

After checking the usual places, she went to the woods outside the city and followed the river. She searched there for a long, long time.

By the time night fully fell, she was soaked in sweat and completely exhausted. She finally stopped and turned back.

She had to go back to the house and check.

When she parked her bicycle at the door, the lights inside were on. She could hear Zayden and Yannick laughing.

Xena felt calm. She exhaled, moved her cold, numb hands and feet, and pushed the door open.

The room fell silent.

A ceramic cup broke at her feet.

“Xena, how dare you come back?!”

Zayden and Yannick hid behind Moon. “Ms. Jensen, please protect us. Mom locked us up on purpose and said we could never see you again!”

“What?”

The words hit her like a thunderclap. Her head rang, and she could barely hear anything else.

She stared at Zayden and Yannick in disbelief. “What’re you saying?”

“You!” Zayden pointed at her. “You took us at noon and locked us in that abandoned warehouse in the west. You said we couldn’t leave until we admitted we were wrong!”

Yannick put his hands on his hips. “You even said we could never be with Ms. Jensen. You said Dad belonged only to you!”