The boy stared at her.
Then he nodded.
"Before."
Layla frowned.
"Before what?"
"Before you were Layla."
A silence fell.
Jude looked towards the woman.
"Do you remember anything?"
Layla shook her head.
"No."
The child walked towards her.
"You used to sing."
Layla's face softened.
"What did I sing?"
The boy opened his mouth.
But no sound came.
He looked confused.
Then frightened.
"I can't remember."
Layla gently knelt.
"That's all right."
The child stared at her.
"Are you angry?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because you don't have to remember everything to be allowed to stay."
The boy looked at her for a long time.
Then he slowly nodded.
Something changed in the room.
A small silver leaf appeared on the floor beside the bed.
It had not been there before.
Jude picked it up.
A symbol was engraved on its surface.
Three curved lines surrounding a point.
Beneath it was a second symbol.
A small tree.
And beneath the tree was a word.
RELEASE.
