Midnight Time,
Two men in black suits stood by the door as Anna opened the door.
Both husband and wife weren't surprised by the appearance of those at the door, as this wasn't the first time that they had appeared
"Any problem?" Ben raised his eyebrows when he saw them. The two men nodded, "You both are needed."
Ben and Anna looked at each other, sighing for a moment.
"Mum, Dad, what happened?" They looked towards their back, seeing Matt standing behind them.
"It looks like Dad and Mom would be busy." Ben forced a smile. Tonight, they are supposed to be with their son, celebrating his birthday, but alas, work is calling them, and it's not something they can ignore.
Matt was confused, but when he saw the two men, he realized what was going on, and his expression turned a bit sour, knowing that his parents were going to leave again.
Yes, these men, according to their parents, work with them in their place of job.
Even though Matt felt sour, he knew that they were finding a way for their cost of living.
"Dad, when I grow up, I will make sure that I help you in your place of job," Matt said determinedly.
Ben was surprised by the words of Matt, not taking them to heart, but when he saw the determined expression of his son, he found himself smiling.
"Then don't worry, Dad will be waiting for you." Ben smiled."Pinky promise " Matt stretched his pinky finger forward, and Ben also did so as both father and son made a promise to each other.
Anna watched her husband and son make promises to each other, also smiling at this scene.
"We would ask Aunty Ashley and Uncle Greg to take care of you and Mina," Anna said, patting her son on the head while arranging his hair neatly.
"Matt, promise Mama that you will take care of your sister and make sure she's alright and no harm shall fall on her," Anna said sternly.
"Yes, I will take care of her," Matt pouted.
Anna giggled, holding his cheeks, "Also take care of yourself. Pinky Promise!"
Anna stretched her pinky finger, Matt doing the same thing, as the promise was made.
"Don't worry, we will be back in a day or two," Anna and Ben promised.
Matt nodded, awaiting their return.
After this, Matt watched his parents leave with the two men.
He locked the door before he entered the room back, looking at his sister, who was fast asleep.
He knew that tomorrow they would be back. He slept on the bed of his sister, falling asleep too.
The next morning, as early as 6am, Matt was already awake, standing by the window in the living room, awaiting the arrival of his parents.
Three hours passed, but they weren't back yet. He used his new phone to whine time away.
It was at this moment, his sister woke up.
"Dad, Mom," she cried out, her eyes wandering the living room, but only her brother's figure at the window entered her sight.
She ran towards him, asking eagerly, "Big Brother, where's Mom and Dad?"
Matt turned to see his sister looking at him eagerly; her pure eyes made him smile. "Mom and Dad went to get something this morning; don't worry, they will soon be back."
When Anna heard this, she nodded. Matt smiled, his eyes wandered outside, and his heart hoped his mom and dad would be back quickly.
"Are you hungry?" He asked his little sister, who nodded her head.
"Alright, go and brush your teeth." Matt patted her head as she headed towards the bathroom to brush her teeth.
Meanwhile, Matt went to the kitchen, opened one of the kitchen desks, brought out noodles, and began to prepare them This wasn't his first time in this situation and circumstances, and coupled with his intelligence greater than his age, he learned how to cook, and even though it wasn't that delicious, it was edible.
Taking utensils from another desk and lighting the cooker, he poured water and began cooking the noodles.
Within three minutes, the noodles were done, of which he served some on a plate for his sister, taking enough for her.
Taking it to the sitting room, his sister was also coming out from the bathroom currently, and greedily feasted her eyes on the noodles, which made Matt laugh.
Putting the noodles in the dining room for her to eat, Mina didn't waste time, devouring the food.
Three hours, four hours, evening time came, but Anna and Ben weren't back. Mina has asked Matt several times when they are, but he kept lying that they would soon be back.
Even though he himself had a bad feeling, he was getting scared.
JINGLE! JINGLE!
The doorbell rang. Matt was delighted, thinking that his parents had arrived, but when he checked, it was just his neighbor He opened the door for the family; they are the ones that his parents had put in their hands.
"Greeting Uncle Bred and Aunt Sylvia," Matt said with a forced smile, which didn't elude the family.
"And you too, Eira." He waved at her. The family entered as the wife went to cook and the husband took care of their needs.Eira is playing with Matt and Mina, but Matt's eyes wander towards the door.
Before Matt could know it, it had been three months since he last saw his parents; he maintained a strong expression when his sister wasn't near him, lying to her.
But when he's alone, his tears flow non-stop, fear creeping into his heart. If not for his sister and the promise he made, he doesn't know what would have happened to him.
As for their neighbors, after one month, they mysteriously disappeared; he had been taking care of their needs. However, there was someone who kept sending foodstuffs and daily needs, and their school life.
The young, vibrant boy of that time was now skinny, his eyes were losing their innocence, and his face was maturing Two more months passed. Matt had gotten used to their lifestyle, but fear crept into his heart, hoping that nothing bad had happened to his parents.
He never forgot the promise he made with his father and mother; he knew that since they promised they would come back, they would do so.
After five months, on one certain day,
JINGLE! JINGLE!
Matt looked towards the door, not as excited as that day. Opening the door, under the heavy downpour of rain, he saw five coated people standing at the door.
When he saw them, he was vigilant, wanting to close the door, but a familiar voice made him stop.
"Matt," he looked towards the person who talked, his expression surprised yet disappointed.
"Uncle Bred, you are here. What happened?" Matt said nonchalantly. The uncle chuckled bitterly.
He looked towards the other four men, who stepped forward. "Are you Matt Garfield?"
Matt raised his eyebrows, but he nodded.
They all looked at each other before they sighed, "We are here to break sad news to you, that we are sorry for the loss of your parents."
These words made the entire body of Matt shake; he didn't want to believe this. "Uncle, stop lying. Dad and Mum have promised that they would come back," he rebuked.
The five men looked at each other before they brought out something. "This is what they asked us to give you if they never make it out."
Matt looked towards them, seeing a letter in their hands; his heart began to pound in panic as he opened the letter.
---
To Our Precious Children(Matt and Mina),
Our sweet son and our little daughter,
If you are reading this one day, it means Mommy and Daddy are no longer here with you. Please don't be afraid — we are not gone forever. We will always live inside your hearts, in your smiles, and in every happy memory we shared.
To our son, you are our brave boy. From the moment you came into our lives, you taught us what true joy feels like. You are strong, kind, and smarter than you even know. Take care of your sister for us, protect her, and remind her that she is never alone.
To our little daughter, you are our sunshine. Your laughter has been the sweetest music in our home. Even when days were hard, you reminded us to smile. Stay gentle, stay bright, and never forget how loved you are.
We are sorry we cannot stay to watch you both grow, but please don't be sad for too long. Instead, be happy, live bravely, and carry our love with you wherever you go. When you look at the stars, remember that we are watching over you. When the wind brushes your cheeks, think of it as our kiss.
Always remember this, our treasures: we love you more than the sky, more than the sea, more than every breath we ever took. Nothing, not even death, can take that away.
Be good to each other. Hold hands. Stay strong. And know, always, that Mommy and Daddy are proud of you.
With all our love forever,
Mommy and Daddy
---
At the bottom of the letter, was the rough drawing of them: father, mother, son, and daughter.
Matt couldn't hold it any longer; he fell to the ground, looking at the rain that was falling, and tears started dropping from his eyes, like rain.
"Haa… Mom..... Dad....." He shouted with all of his might, grieving them, as he felt as if he had lost the most important piece of his heart.
Hours later, this young boy was still crying; the five men felt disheartened by this scene.
Matt looked towards the sky, his eyes hollow without life."It hurts..." He held his heart, grimacing in pain. The five men who were watching him felt something was wrong, but it was too late.
Matt felt darkness descend on him; if it was before, he would have been screaming, not allowing darkness to descend.However, this time, he embraced darkness; it was his only comfort at this moment.
"Mom, Dad, I am coming." He smiled as darkness engulfed him.