The Rich Boy Met His Homeless Twin at the Airport
Chapter 2: The Tag
Caroline reached for the tag, but the homeless boy jerked back.
"Don't touch me."
His voice was small, but the anger behind it was not. Ryan looked between them, confused and frightened. He had never seen his mother look like that before. She was always calm. Always polished. Always in control.
Now she looked terrified.
"What is your name?" Caroline asked.
The poor boy stared at her for a long moment.
"Ethan."
Ryan whispered, "I'm Ryan."
"I heard."
Caroline crouched slowly, keeping her hands visible. "Ethan, where did you get that tag?"
"I've always had it."
"Who gave it to you?"
"The woman who raised me." Ethan swallowed. "Before she died."
Caroline closed her eyes for one painful second.
Ryan's voice trembled. "Mom, what is happening?"
Before Caroline could answer, a tall man in a black airport security suit approached. He had been standing near the information desk, watching too carefully.
"Mrs. Whitmore," he said quietly, "we need to move."
Caroline stiffened.
Ethan noticed.
"You know him too?"
The man ignored Ethan and looked at Ryan. "Come with your mother, young sir."
Ryan stepped closer to Ethan instead.
"No. Not until someone tells me why he looks like me."
The man's expression hardened.
Caroline stood. "Not here."
Ethan gave a sharp laugh. "That's what adults always say when they want to lie."
The security man reached for Ethan's arm.
Ethan tried to pull away, but the man was faster.
"Leave him alone!" Ryan shouted.
People began turning.
Caroline's face changed. For the first time, she looked less afraid of being discovered and more afraid of losing the boy again.
"Let him go, Martin," she ordered.
The man froze.
Ethan looked at her.
"Again?" he asked.
Caroline's face went pale.
She had not meant to say it like that.
Ethan slowly stood, clutching the tag in one fist.
"What did you do to me?"
Before Caroline could answer, the airport announcement system crackled overhead.
Then a calm male voice said:
"Passenger Ethan Whitmore, please report to Gate 12."
Caroline looked up in horror.
Because Ethan had never told anyone his last name.
