“I wanted you.”
Billie picked up the ball.“And Adam didn’t?”
“Adam didn’t know about you, honey.”
“Why?”
“I didn’t know when I left.”
“But you knew later?”
“Yes.”
Billie stood up and stuffed her ball into her pocket.“Every Sunday when we went to church, I always asked God for a dad.He gave me one.I guess I’m happy.”
“I know it’s a lot to get used to.”
Billie nodded.“I’m going for a walk, Mom.”
“Lunch is in an hour.”
Billie shuffled off deeper into the backyard.Jane watched her go.This quiet sedate child wasn’t hers.Had telling Billie been a mistake?Was the damage permanent?She wanted to run after her and hug her and love her until all the questions and fears disappeared.It didn’t work that way.Billie had to figure this thing out on her own.Nothing would be the same again.
Jane made her way back to the house.Should she invite Adam over for lunch?How were they going to handle that now?Coming home and reuniting father and daughter had seemed like such a good idea in San Francisco.But she’d never thought through all the logistical problems.Where did they go from here?
* * *
It was almost two o’clock when Jane burst into Adam’s study.“She’s not here, is she?”
He looked up from his work and frowned.“Billie?I haven’t seen her since this morning.I was going to call you later and see if you thought we could all have dinner.”
She turned toward Charlene who was standing behind her.“She’s not here.That’s it, then.She’s run away.”
“Who’s run away?”
“Your daughter.”Jane rubbed her temples.“I last saw her about three hours ago in the backyard.We had a talk about, well, you know.I told her lunch was in an hour.When I went out to get her, I couldn’t find her.”
Billie?Gone?He glanced at his watch.“And you’re just now coming to find me?”
“I wanted to check the yard and then the house.Charlene looked around here while I went to the park.”
“And?”he asked, already knowing the answer.
“No one’s seen her.”
He’d been a parent less than twenty-four hours and it had been one crisis after another.His first inclination was to tear out of the room and begin a search of his own.“Let’s keep calm,” he said, as much to himself as to them.
“Calm?”Jane shrieked.“Calm?My daughter is out there.Alone.And you want to stay calm?”
“Jane, please, dear.This isn’t helping.”Charlene took her arm and ushered her into the room.“Have a seat and we’ll all think this through.She can’t have gone that far.”
“You don’t know Billie.She’s very resourceful.”
“She’s also a little girl.And that is what she’s going to act like.Now, think.Where would Billie go?”
Jane crumpled into the chair in front of his desk.She shook her head.“I don’t know.Ican’tthink.Oh, God, she’s lost and it’s all my fault.”
Charlene looked at him.“Adam?”
