BOUND BY LOVE *2

Jackson sniffled, looking up at Miss Lily, who smiled softly at him. "I don’t want you to go," he whimpered. "What if you don’t come back?"

Amelia’s heart ached at his words. She reached out and hugged him tightly. "I promise you, Jackson, we will come back. And when we do, we’ll have lots of fun stories to tell you. Maybe we can even bring you something special from France." She tried to sound cheerful, though she could feel her own emotions rising.

Jackson pulled back slightly, his lip quivering. "Like what?" he asked, his voice small and tentative.

"How about a little Eiffel Tower replica?" Amelia suggested, knowing how much Jackson loved building things. "We could get one for your room, and every time you look at it, you’ll remember that we’re always thinking about you."

Jackson considered this for a moment, his tear-filled eyes showing a hint of interest. "Okay," he mumbled, wiping his nose on his sleeve. "But you promise you’ll come back?"

Amelia kissed his forehead. "