On my first day working as a kindergarten teacher, I was mistaken for someone's mom.

It's normal for children to mistake their teacher for their mom when they start kindergarten, but it was a parent who called me mom.

He wore a gray sweatshirt and black casual pants. He held a little boy's hand. His face had sharp features and blue eyes.

"Mom," he said.

His voice was deep and pleasant.

I looked behind me. There was no one else. Was he on the phone?

"Mom," he repeated.

I looked up and met his slightly trembling eyes. I was startled.

Then the little boy's soft voice sounded, "Uncle, why are you calling the teacher Mom?"

1

On the first day of my new job, I was mistaken for someone's mom.

I explained to him for a long time at the kindergarten entrance. I was only 22 years old. There was no way I could have a child his age.

But he was very stubborn. He stared at me. "You are my mom," he said.

I was speechless until the principal came out. She looked at him and quickly pulled me aside. "You can't offend him. His family owns this whole street," she said.

I looked back and saw him still standing there. His eyes were fixed on me. It was filled with a long-lasting sadness.

It felt like he had known me for a long time.

I spread my hands. "What should I do? Does he have a mental illness?" I asked.

"He's a financial graduate from the Tanaxes. His IQ is probably higher than ours combined," the principal said.

The principal gave me half a day off. She asked me to accompany him until he got bored, and then come back.

"No deduction in pay?" I asked.

The principal assured me. "Absolutely no deduction!"

2

Skipping work on my first day felt pretty good.

I walked up to him. "Let's go. Where do you want to go?" I asked.

He looked down at me. He curled his lips, and smiled childishly.

"You finally admitted you're my mom," he said.

I sighed and waved my hand. He could call me whatever he wanted. I wasn't going to argue with someone who might be crazy.

He lowered his head and rubbed his stomach, looking a bit disappointed. "I'm really hungry," he said.

I looked at the fine hair on his forehead and his long, curled eyelashes.

Surprisingly, a wave of motherly affection welled up in me. I decided to take him to eat.

"What do you like to eat?" I asked.

Looking at his delicate skin, he seemed pampered. I wasn't sure if he would like the place I picked.

He looked at me eagerly. "I'll eat whatever you eat, Mom," he said.

I touched my nearly empty wallet and thought it over. "Okay, let's go eat burgers then," I decided.

There was a burger shop near the school that had been around for decades. Their mayonnaise burgers were something I had eaten since childhood.

After ordering, we sat facing each other. He sat obediently on a small stool, looking a lot like a child.

As I sanitized the utensils, I questioned him, "What's your name? Where do you live? Where do you work?"

He sat upright and answered seriously, "My name is Noah Clark. I live at No. 11, Xenium Residence. I currently work at my father's company. Mom, how could you forget all this?"

I set the utensils for him and scratched my head. "I can't help it. I have a bad memory."

I had a car accident when I was a child. Ever since then, my memory has been poor.

The server placed the mayonnaise burgers in front of me. Noah suddenly said, "Mom, your taste is still the same as when you were a kid."

I was startled. How did he know my taste since childhood?

He expertly dipped the burger in mayonnaise and placed it on my plate.

He looked up at me. "Mom, it's been a long time," he said.

3

That night, I had a dream.

In the dream, everything was pitch black except for a sliver of light on the horizon. I ran towards the light. Just as I was about to reach it, I woke up.

I glanced at my phone. It was only five thirty. My forehead was covered in sweat.

My throat hurt. My head was pounding.

I rummaged through the drawer. I found some medicine and swallowed it. Then, I went back to sleep.

"Hot dog buns for sale! Hot dog buns for sale! It's crispy and delicious hot dog buns!"

A street vendor's shout echoed in my ears. I covered my ears, but the voice only got closer.

"What's the deal? It's so early in the morning. Why are you selling hot dog buns in the neighborhood?" I complained.

I angrily opened my eyes. A blue sky and bustling crowds filled my vision.

My mind went blank. I froze.

"Am I still dreaming?" I wondered.

There weren't many cars on the street. People dressed in outdated clothes were riding bicycles. It looked like a scene straight out of the 90s.

I looked down at myself and saw that I was still wearing my Chromie pajamas. I grabbed an elderly man passing by. My voice trembled. "What year is it?"

The old man looked at me. He was confused. "It's 2002," he replied.

2002?!

At that time, my family was still in a small town in the south. We hadn't moved here yet. As someone with no identity, I wandered the streets all day. I finally understood what it meant to live hand-to-mouth.

If I couldn't find a job soon, I might really end up dead in a ditch.

But my current status was sensitive, so I couldn't move around freely.

As night fell, the smell of food wafted from the houses by the road. I touched my empty stomach. I put my climbing skills to use and sneaked into a small villa.

The house was dark. It seemed like no one was home.

I climbed up a tree in the garden and entered the second floor.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm really desperate. I'm just here to find something to eat. I won't take anything else," I whispered, apologizing as I groped my way into the kitchen.

I opened the fridge. There was a lot of bread and kids' milk inside. I tore off the packaging and started devouring it.

Suddenly, a bright light shone on my face.

I instinctively raised my hands, still holding a piece of bread in my mouth.

"Who... who are you?" a timid voice asked.

I looked towards the voice. A little boy in cow-patterned pajamas was standing in the corner, holding a flashlight and staring at me.

My brain froze. On impulse, I responded, "I'm your mom."

4

"Mom, why do you never come back to see me?" he asked.

I sat in the living room. He clumsily brought me a pile of snacks from the storage room.

"Here, these are all the snacks I like. I saved them for you," he said, handing them to me.

I looked up at the family photo on the cabinet. It only showed a handsome man holding him.

I guessed that his parents must have divorced.

"Because I'm very busy with work and travel a lot," I explained.

The little boy climbed onto the sofa. He tilted his head and stared at me. "Mom, you're so pretty," he said.

My face flushed slightly. I felt a bit embarrassed. I reached out and patted his head.

"You've got a sweet mouth," I teased.

He scooted closer to me, leaning against my arm. "Other kids have moms, but I don't. Starting today, I have a mom too," he said.

I suddenly felt a pang of heartache. I turned and hugged him tightly. The boy smelled faintly of milk, which was quite comforting.

"By the way, shouldn't you be going to bed? You have preschool tomorrow," I reminded him.

I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was eight thirty in the evening.

He looked at me reluctantly. "Mom, sleep with me," he pleaded.

How could I refuse this adorable little boy?

I carried him to bed and tucked him in. Suddenly, I realized that there was no one else in this big house to take care of him.

"The nanny had something to do today, so she didn't come back. I'm in the middle class now. I can take care of myself," he explained.

Listening to his mature words made me feel sad.

How irresponsible of the nanny to leave such a young child alone at home.

I asked him, "What's your name?"

"Mom, my name is Noah Clark," he replied. I wondered if it was the same "Noah Clark" I knew.

5

I didn't know if this "Noah Clark" and the other "Noah Clark" were the same person.

I quickly asked, "What's the name of the community we're living in now?"

Noah's big eyes twinkled. He said, "Mom, I know, you're testing my basic knowledge!"

I patted his head. "Good boy."

"We live in No. 8, Danontand residence. My dad's name is Luke Clark. Mom's name is...

"Stella Harris.

"Mom's name is Stella Harris. Grandpa's name is..."

I heard Noah almost reciting the names of all his ancestors. I quickly covered his mouth.

"Alright, I know you're very smart." I yawned. For some reason, I suddenly felt very sleepy.

"At this time, little kids should be in bed. You won't grow tall if you don't sleep."

Noah lay next to me. He stared at me and asked nervously, "Mom, will you still be here tomorrow?"

I reached out and touched his little face. I pulled him into my arms. "Of course, I will always be here."

Noah smiled sweetly. He gave me a big kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight, Mom!"

My heart felt warm. I held him tightly in my arms.

The current Noah, cute and clever, was a completely different person from the older Noah.

Maybe it was just a simple coincidence of the same name.

With that thought, I drifted off to sleep.

6

"Lazy girl, get up! Lazy girl, get up!"

In the morning, I was woken up by the familiar sound of my phone's ringtone.

I instinctively turned off the alarm. In my grogginess, I suddenly realized something was off.

I sat up in shock. What I saw was still the setup of my rental room.

I pinched myself hard to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

"Ouch!"

It hurt so much that tears nearly came out. It definitely wasn't a dream.

Could it be that everything that happened last night was just a dream?

I didn't have time to think more about it. Today was my second day at work, and I couldn't be late.

When I arrived at the kindergarten, I happened to run into the first batch of parents dropping off their kids.

"Good morning, Ms. Harris."

The familiar childish voice rang out. I looked up.

It was Noah. He was holding a little boy. Both were dressed in black and white baseball uniforms and wore baseball caps, looking like brothers.

I took the child. "Good morning, Wyatt Clark."

"Mom, what's today's date?"

Noah slightly tilted his chin up.

I was a bit dazed. The younger Noah and the current Noah inexplicably overlapped in my mind.

They looked so alike.

I took out my phone and glanced at it. "Today is October 2, 2022."

Noah seemed to smile slightly. His voice was a bit hoarse and had a youthful tone. "Then you have to remember today."

I was puzzled. "Why?"

"Because today is the first day I'm picking you up from work."

I found it strange. "We're not that close. I can take the subway home."

Noah didn't say anything. His blue eyes stared at me without blinking.

His gaze made me feel uneasy. "Then you can wait outside."

After saying that, I went to check on the other kids.

I thought Noah would get impatient or leave after a while.

To my surprise, during class, Noah was sitting on a bench outside the kindergarten reading a book. He looked even more well-behaved than the kids in the kindergarten.

The principal came over and told me that Noah was kidnapped when he was little. Since then, his mental state hadn't been quite right. It seemed like he was looking for someone.

I nodded to show my understanding. If it weren't for Noah's innocent-looking face, I would have really thought he was a creep.