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I came closer, telling the teacher on duty, “I’m sorry, but my two girls haven’t come out yet. Can I just go grab them? I’m kind of in a hurry.”
“I’m sorry. For security reasons, we can’t let you inside right now.” Her face was apologetic, but it didn’t help the unease inside of me.
My mind was playing that negative game again, envisioning worst-case scenarios. Like Paul in the school with my girls.
My heart pumped and thrashed within my chest. Just the thought threatened a heart attack.
I took one step forward, about to cross the line, consequences be damned, when a swoosh of air released from my lungs as Sarah came toward me, smiling. Genevieve, one of her friends, was with her.
After a quick hug of farewell to her friend, Sarah walked toward me. The second she crossed the threshold of the front door, I erased the gap between us and pulled her into my chest. I was sure I was embarrassing her, but I didn’t care. I crushed her into me, as though we hadn’t seen each other in years, pressing a desperate kiss to the top of her head.
“Becky?” she said, her voice muffled against me. “Are you okay?”
I was shaking. Visibly shaking. But relieved—almost. Because I had one last child to pick up.
I pulled back. “Have you seen Mary?”
“No.” She was giving me a look like I’d gone crazy. And maybe I had, but it was for good reason.
I took a step away from her. Both of us glanced toward the door, and I kept a hand on Sarah’s backpack for peace of mind.
Five minutes passed. Little girls who looked like Mary exited the building, but Mary was nowhere in sight. I walked up to the teacher again because she was about to shut the doors, but I didn’t have my child.
“Did you dismiss the preschoolers?”
Her eyes widened just a tad. “They were dismissed at the south entrance, where the school buses are. They had their field trip at the pumpkin patch.”
“Wait. What?” I was already running with Sarah before the teacher got her next words out.
I ran like my life depended on it, arms pumping, legs making long strides. Sarah could barely keep up with me, so I slowed my pace because there was no way I was losing two kids in one day.
The buses were empty, and there was no one in the south entrance. No kids could be seen. When I saw a bus driver, I rushed toward her as she got back on the bus, and before the doors closed, I waved my hands like a lunatic to get her attention.
“Um, hi there,” I said to her as she frowned at me from her high seat. “When were the preschoolers dismissed?”
She blinked at me. “Yeah, they were just dismissed at the regular dismissal time.”
“What?” I barked.
She reeled back at the sharpness in my tone. “After the buses dropped them off, parents were supposed to pick them up from here. There were a few kids that went inside to go to the main entrance for pickup.”
I about-faced and hurried back to the main entrance, gripping Sarah’s hand so she stayed with me.
“Becky, where are we going?” Sarah whined, but I could hear the note of concern.
“We have to find Mary. She’s probably inside.” My voice was frantic.
Even though I knew it wouldn’t help the situation to freak out, I couldn’t help it. But it couldn’t be. She wasn’t gone. She wasn’t lost. She was inside. Where else could she be?
“Don’t worry, Becky. Since she didn’t come out, she’s in her class for sure, or if not, she’s at the main office. We’ll find her.” Sarah’s calm voice was meant to ease the tension in my gut, but it didn’t.
I smiled down at her for her benefit. “We will.”
I hurried into the school, no longer being guarded by the teacher, and into Mary’s classroom, which was empty, and then I charged toward the main office. “Did the preschoolers in Mrs. Cininski’s class get dismissed yet?”
Brenda, the school secretary, peered up. “Yes, they were dismissed with all the other kids.” She glanced at the clock behind her desk. “That was fifteen minutes ago.”
“I can’t find Mary Brisken,” I said, my hands beginning to shake as much as my voice. “Would there be a dismissal without someone signing her out?”
