I love her so much.
But the older she gets, the more I want to cling.
I know I have to let her go, release her into this big, scary world and let her figure it out, but I just hate the idea of her getting hurt.
It kills me.
I want to keep her safe, nearby, protected.
“Harley!” Sienna yells, and I flinch, brought back to reality with a quick jolt.
“Kendall!” I add my voice to the mix, hoping our calling isn’t pushing the girls farther into the forest.
If they’re determined to hide away from the big bad parents, then they’ll keep going.
But maybe they’re cold enough to want to come home.
Kids might get pissed off, but they ultimately want a safe, warm haven they can come back to.
That’s what we are.
That’s what we’ll always be… no matter how far they run from us.
Or how long they go without talking to us.
I frown, staring ahead at my daughter again.
“Kendall!” she calls. “Harley!”
We pause to listen for a response, but there’s nothing. The silence is eerie and disconcerting, my insides writhing as I try not to let that edge of panic move forward in my brain.
We’re going to find those girls.
And we’ll find them in one piece.
Shit.
We better.
I feel sick as I continue hiking down this undulating trail, catching Sienna’s arm when she skids on a slippery tree root.
“You good?”
“Yeah.” She nods, giving me a weak smile.
Her blue eyes say so much, and I don’t have to ask what she’s thinking. Our daughter is just up ahead, and if this search has reminded us of anything, it’s that life is short and precious, and we can’t waste a moment of it on angst and fractured relationships.
We have to fix this thing with Zoey.
We have to fix itnow.
“You go first,” she whispers. “I might head off the trail this way for a minute.” She points to an open area that looks safe enough to investigate without getting lost. The trees are more widespread, the brush not so dense.
“Be careful.” I’m still holding her arm, so I pull her in and plant my lips on hers.
When she eases away from me, I stare into those blue eyes and practically feel my heart melt. “You know I love you, right?”
“Yes,” she whispers, her eyes glassing over. “You know I’m always yours, right? You’re my one and only.”
