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wide with confusion. "Mama, what s wrong?" he had asked. "Why are you screaming? What happened?" Ruth had pulled him into her arms, holding him close, her body shaking with sobs. "I m sorry, baby," she had whispered. "I m so sorry. I didn t mean to scare you." He had wrapped his small arms around her, his voice soft and comforting. "It s okay, Mama. I m here. I ll protect you. I won t let anyone hurt you." Ruth had felt a surge of love so powerful it almost broke her. He was so young, so innocent, so eager to protect her. He didn t understand that she was supposed to protect him, that she was supposed to keep him safe, that she was supposed to be the strong one. She had held him close, her heart aching with love and grief. She had known, in that moment, that she could not keep running forever. She had to find a way to protect him, to give him a chance, to give him a future. She had made a decision. CHAPTER FIFTEEN: THE SHERIFF S VISIT The sheriff had come to the motel on a Tuesday afternoon, his face grim, his eyes hard. He was a large man, with a thick neck and a neatly trimmed mustache, and he had a presence that filled the room. He wore a crisp uniform, his badge gleaming on his chest, and he carried himself with the authority of a man who was used to being obeyed. "Ruth Harrison?" he had asked, his voice flat and official. Ruth had nodded, her heart pounding with fear. "Yes, sir. That s me." "I need to ask you some questions," he had said. "There have been reports of a woman traveling with a child, a woman who matches your description. I need to know who you are, where you re from, where you re going." Ruth had felt a chill run down her spine. The sheriff knew. The men in black cars had told him. They were closing in, and there was nowhere left to run. "I don t know what you re talking about," she had said, her voice trembling. "I m just a traveler, passing through. I haven t done anything wrong." The sheriff had studied her, his eyes cold and calculating. "I ve been told that you re a danger to yourself and others," he had said. "I ve been told that you re unstable, that you re a threat to the child." Ruth had felt a surge of anger, hot and blinding. "That s a lie," she had said. "I m not a threat to anyone. I m just trying to protect my son." The sheriff had shaken his head. "I m going to have to take the boy," he had said. "It s for his own safety. You re not fit to be a mother." Ruth had run. She had grabbed William, pushed past the sheriff, and run out of the motel. She had run through the streets, her legs burning, her heart pounding, until she had reached the edge of town. She had not looked back, had not dared to look back. She had known that the sheriff was following her, that he would catch her, that he would take her son. But she had also known that she could not let that happen. She would do anything, absolutely anything, to protect her son. She had found shelter in an abandoned barn on the outskirts of town. It was cold and drafty, the roof leaking, the floor covered in hay