Encoded

Getting on a plane was something that always scared the sh*t out of Gwen, but due to her career, she always had to be in one.

Though she wasn’t on a work trip now, getting to her destination made her happy. The journey was over…or maybe just beginning.

It was the first time in five years that she would put her feet back in City X. She had never thought she’d be back, especially with her four year old son at her side.

Cody was the most precious and handsome little boy, although his features resembled his father a little too much, breaking Gwen’s heart whenever he looked at her. His green eyes and blond hair brought matched those of the man who she had tried so hard to forget.

Shaking her head to shove away those thoughts, Gwen grabbed Cody by his hand and got inside a cab.

“The X Town Mall, please,” she uttered to the driver, as she fastened Cody’s seat belt.

“Are we not going to Aunt Steph’s house anymore, mommy?” Cody asked, looking out the window, enchanted.

It was his first time in his mother’s hometown, really his first time away from home, and he was delighted by everything around him.

“Yes, we are, baby. We’re just going to pass by the mall to buy a few things and eat something, okay? We need to wait for Aunt Steph to get out of work anyway.”

Leaning her head on the other window, every street seemed to remind Gwen of her past. She thought she was ready to come back, but suddenly her confidence wasn’t so high.

Why was she thinking so much of him lately? She thought she had come to terms with the horrible things that had happened. It shouldn’t be such a big deal to her anymore.

When Stephanie asked her to pay a visit, Gwen thought it would be nice to finally come back and see her best friend. It had been a long time since they saw each other.

Though the city was teeming with memories, it had felt like the right time to show Cody where she had been born and lived most of her life.

She even considered the idea of moving back to the city with him to start a new life there.

“Mommy, look!” Cody said excitedly by her side. “It's so beautiful and big.”

His little finger was pointing at an enormous building made of glass.

Her heart almost dropped.

They were passing by the company of the man who hadn’t left her mind for the past five years.

She didn’t even know what to say to her son, so she simply murmured something incomprehensible.

A few minutes later, the cab stopped in front of the mall and they left. Gwen grabbed the suitcase with one hand and Cody’s hand with the other. Walking around, looking at the windows and still trying to get her sh*t together, Gwen suddenly regretted going to such an open space.

She felt as though she were being watched, which was absurd. How, or better yet, why would someone watch her?

Nobody even knew she was back in town.