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“Alright, little one,” I said, unbuckling Aubree from the car seat.
I'd packed up the travel crib and all her things, but it still felt like I left something behind. Eventually, I'd need to get her a more permanent baby bed. Well, as soon as I got a larger apartment, that was. Since it was obvious Aubree was sticking around, I'd have to figure something out.
The studio I was in was fine for me, but for a child – and Hannah – it wasn't going to cut it.
I felt ridiculous carrying everything around with me. It would be really nice if Hannah and I discussed a future together that involved living in the same place, but that might be rushing things. Although things seemed to be going in the right direction, I figured it was probably best to move slowly. To proceed with a little bit of caution.
Even though we'd lived together before, that had been an entirely different situation. We were step-siblings under our parent's roof. At least when she was in Yora instead of Seattle, that was. Living together now took on an entirely new meaning and context. One I wasn't sure either of us were truly ready for.
I looked down at my daughter's big, brown eyes and her head full of nearly black hair. She was completely unexpected, but in many ways, she was probably exactly what I needed. Before her, I guess I'd been content to just float along in life with no real direction or purpose. I worked at the bar, did what I wanted, wasn't accountable to anybody for anything, and that had been good enough for me.
Now that Aubree was a part of my daily existence – and Hannah too – I realized that I needed to do more. To be more. I wanted and needed to be a better person for the both of them. But most of all, I wanted and needed to be a better person for me. I wanted to make something of myself and of my life. Rather than just float along, I wanted to take some control in seizing and shaping my own future.
I would start looking for a job that paid more, get a larger place, and be the dad she needed. Be the man that Hannah wanted.
Life was looking up I was happy as hell, so sue me. I was humming a little tune and making faces at Aubree as I walked up to Hannah's apartment door. That feeling of giddiness was short-lived though, when I glanced down and saw her car wasn't parked in the usual, assigned spot. The lights in her apartment were all off too, which was strange. Still, I knocked. I knocked a few times before giving up and digging for the spare key she'd given me. I opened the door and stepped inside. The place was empty. In fact, there was no sign of her being home anytime recently.
I put Aubree down on Hannah's bed and walked through the apartment. No sign of Hannah. There was a dirty towel on the bathroom floor, her clothes from earlier in a pile on the floor, but nothing else. I pulled out my phone, sat down beside Aubree, and dialed her number.
It went straight to voicemail.
I tried again. Same thing. I left a message, just a brief one telling her to call me back. Then I hung up and texted her. I waited for about ten minutes and after getting no response, I started to panic. This wasn't like her. My head was spinning. She'd mentioned confronting her father, after she'd first gotten to my place, but I'd thought I talked her out of it. Thought I'd made her understand just how dangerous that could be for her. I thought I'd gotten through to her.
But, had I? Or had she, being the stubborn and hardheaded woman, she was, decided to go at him head on anyway?
A rising tide of worry welling up within me, I called Roy's number. I held the phone to my ear and waited for the call to go through. It also went straight to voicemail.
Shit.
The next number I called was Beth.
“Hey, think you could watch the munchkin for a bit? I'll pay you double,” I said.
She agreed, in a heartbeat. I gave her Hannah's address and waited until someone was with Aubree before I went searching for Hannah. Each minute I sat there, waiting for Beth, was agonizing. An exercise in absolute torture. My heart was racing, and I kept thinking that maybe I was overreacting. Hoping I was panicking for nothing.
I sat there hoping she was going to walk through the front door with a story about how she got held up with a friend or some shit. Yeah, that would be it. I was being ridiculous. Paranoid.
Still, as soon as Beth arrived, I was out of there. I didn't even have a chance to explain what was going on or make up an excuse. I was out the door and in my truck with no idea where I was going. I drove through the center of town and saw her car parked along the street. I came to a quick stop and parked nearby.
A liquor store. A dry cleaner. A nail place. All but one of those places was closed, and Hannah wasn't a big drinker. I ducked in there anyway and looked around. No sign of her. Further down, there was a twenty-four-hour diner and I stepped through the door there, hopeful to see her smiling face staring back at me.
Only one table was occupied, and it was an elderly gentleman drinking coffee. The waitress looked up as I entered, a friendly smile on her face.
“Have you seen Hannah Ross?” I asked her, hoping that Yora was still small enough for people to know who was who.
The woman thought for a second before answering, “Petite blonde nurse, right?” she asked. “Roy's daughter?”
“Yes, that's her,” I said.
“Yep. She was in here about two hours ago. With Officer Abbott, if I remember correctly,” she said.
She stood there, as if waiting for more questions or hoping I'd take a table. I didn't really have any questions and I wasn't there to eat. Her answer threw me for a loop and I wasn't sure where to go with it at the moment.
Finally, I asked, “When did they leave? Did they go together?”
“I dunno,” she shrugged. “I wasn't paying attention honestly.”
Great. Her car
