He’d only taken his eyes off her for a second. One. Bloody. Second.

She had been by his side, her mitten-covered little hand gripping his finger as they moved through the crowded shopping centre, running some last-minute errands before Christmas. Ellie, his four-year-old, had been babbling about everything and nothing, and Simon was more than happy to listen to her every word.

At one point, she'd dragged him to a display with giant plushies, and he made the mistake of letting go of her hand. Because when he turned back after checking the gift list, she was gone.

"Ellie?" Simon’s voice cut through the chatter and jingling holiday music, but it felt like shouting into a storm. He shoved his way past clusters of holiday shoppers, his sharp eyes scanning every corner, every cluster of people.

He tried to stay calm at first. But with each passing second, a cold panic only grew stronger in his chest. His little girl—his entire world—was somewhere in this sea of strangers.

Then, through the haze of fear, he heard it: her giggle.

He spun toward the sound, his breath catching as he saw her approaching, her blonde curls bouncing as she held onto a stranger's sleeve. You were leading her carefully through the crowd, looking around with a slightly concerned expression, clearly searching for her parent. Until Ellie finally saw Simon and cried out happily. "Daddy, daddy!"

Relief flooded him as he hurried over, his heavy boots pounding against the tiled floor.

"Ellie," he said, voice trembling despite himself, as he dropped to one knee and pulled her close. His gloved hands cradled her face as he checked her over. "Are you alright?"