Tabitha's POV
That guy clearly recognized me, but he deliberately concealed himself with his attire.
His vibe was anything but ordinary, and he radiated danger like it was his second skin.
Yet, it was this very peculiar man who was cradling two infants in his arms, evoking an image of a tiger gently sniffing a rose.
Could he be a human trafficker? But what kind of human trafficker would splurge on buying so many clothes for kids?
I glanced at the price tags. Even a simple piece of clothing was expensive, and he had two full strollers packed with diapers and formula.
The cost of all those things must be thousands of dollars. Thus, no way he was a human trafficker.
The babies were still wailing, but the man showed no signs of impatience. Instead, he took out two pacifiers from his pocket.
Both were sealed in sterile bags, indicating that he must've sterilized them before leaving home.
Once he popped the pacifiers into the babies' mouths, their cries finally stopped.
I watched as one baby nestled against his shoulder while the other did the same, their chubby faces still streaked with undried tears.
Their big, round eyes looked in my direction. Their noses were red, making them look like two adorable kittens.
All of a sudden, I felt a bit strange. Generally, babies couldn't be held upright unless they were over three months old. Yet when I held that girl, it felt so light—like it had just been born not long ago.
"Tabitha, what are you looking at?" Zola approached me cheerfully with a few baby clothes in hand.
"Zola, how old do you think that guy's kids are?" I asked.
As the man was about to reach the sightseeing elevator with the kids in his arms, Zola took a quick glance and replied, "They seem to be around the same age as my little grandson, but mine hasn't even reached one month yet. He's still so soft and can't even hold up his head, definitely not supposed to be carried like that."
Her assessment matched mine, and she added, "There's another possibility, Tabitha. They seem to be a pigeon pair. I guess they could have been born prematurely due to some stimulus to their mother, which is why they appear smaller than usual for their age. Alas, if your pups have survived, they would probably be this big too."
Seeing my spirits dampen, Zola lightly slapped her mouth. "Look at what I've done with my big mouth, saying things I shouldn't. You're still so young. I'm sure you'll have plenty of kids in the future!"
I smiled bitterly and changed the subject. "So how's your shopping going?"
"Check out these cute outfits. They feel so soft, nothing like back in our day when we didn't even have diapers!"
I glanced at the onesies she held and casually picked out a few more. Zola kept saying that was enough, but I ignored her.
"Kids grow fast; it's good to have extras on hand."
"Thank you, Tabitha," she said gratefully.
As I looked at the beautiful clothes, I couldn't help but think if my pups were still alive, they'd definitely be adorable too.
The image of the little girl who had just nestled in my arms surfaced again in my mind. Her tender skin and big, round eyes made her look like a Barbie doll. It melted my heart just to think of her.
And that guy asked me to meet him at the coffee shop. But who was he?
I didn't know if I should go there or not. Without any memories to guide me, I couldn't tell if he was friend or foe.
And he specifically told me to come alone...
I closed my eyes, and Lisa's tragic end flashed before me along with Derek's repeated warnings to be cautious.
Finally, I decided to opt for safety instead—head straight back after shopping.
There was no compelling reason for me to go anyway.
After I had done shopping with Zola, we were about to return to the parking lot when we heard a sharp noise.
"What's happening?"
"Sounds like someone's smashing storefronts!"
In the chaos, Zola was about to lead me away.
Just then, someone shouted, "Isn't that Tabitha? The one who got Lisa killed!"