Chapter Five: Lost and Found
The entire flight back to West Virginia was a blur to me. I did not notice the other passengers, the food I ate, or the movie that was shown. Instead, I went over and over what Luke had told me on the phone.
I had given him Jennifer's phone number in case of an emergency, never expecting he would even remember the number..much less have to use it.
"I came back to the cabin," he had said, more calmly than I, "and Heaven was gone. Tom and Fanny were there, but not Heaven."
"Luke, what could have happened?" I had cried, shrilly.
"I don't know. But if I were you, I'd get back here quick."
I had booked the first flight out of Greenville, briefly explained to Josh what had happened, told Jennifer I would call her soon with news, grabbed my bags and ordered the cab driver to get me to the airport as fast as he could.
I hadn't wanted to leave Josh without saying anything regarding the kiss we had shared, so I had promised to call him, too. He had wanted to come back to Winnerrow with me, but I had told him that although I appreciated the offer, he shouldn't have to get too involved in my life.
"We didn't work out the first or second times. Maybe Heaven coming up missing is an omen that we wouldn't work out a third time."
I had left him with pain in his eyes…but my heart was splitting in two. My daughter, my baby, was missing. Missing!
The word reverberated inside my head during the drive into Winnerrow and to the cabin. Missing, missing, Heaven was missing. Tears threatened to be my undoing, but I wouldn't let myself cry. I couldn't let myself cry. I might not stop once I started.
Finally, I reached Luke's cabin, and turned off the car engine. Without pausing to catch my breath, I ran up the steps and into the cabin.
I had not spent much time inside the cabin that housed the Casteel family since my return to Winnerrow. What I had seen had confirmed my suspicion that the inside was as run-down as the outside had been allowed to become.
Now, though, the knowledge that Heaven was gone seemed to have thrown a blanket of darkness around the entire cabin. Tom and Fanny, Sarah's two children with Luke, sat on the big bed--the cabin's one bed--while Toby and Annie sat their rocking chairs. Luke was pacing the floors, his boots pounding against the wood. At my entrance, he looked up, his face tight and drawn, his eyes angry.
"Sarah's gone, too," he announced.
"What?"
"Sarah's gone. She up an' left. Took her things and left me." He shoved a piece of paper at me, which I read quickly.
Dear Luke:
Can't take no more of ya not carin' bout me or my feelings. Can't keep hearin' ya call out for yer damned Angel in t' middle of the night! Can't stay with ya when ya run off, leavin' me an the kids alone in t' cabin. Need to be free from ya. I loved ya once, but I don't anymore. I'm takin' what matters most to ya wit me when I go.
Sarah
"What matters most to you?" I repeated. "What does that mean?"
Luke grimaced.
"I don't know. I went out an looked for her…looked for both of em, but couldn't find neither." He glanced at Fanny and Tom and then continued. "The kids said Heaven was gone when they all got up this morning, and Sarah left without making them any breakfast."
"I have to go out and look for Heaven. Luke, you know that Sarah hates me. What she wrote in that note proves it! I believe she took Heaven, and I intend to find Sarah. Where I find her will be where I find my daughter."
I ran back out of the cabin, and to my surprise, Luke ran after me. He caught up to me at my car.
"Leigh… I want to go with you." At my look of confusion, he hurried on. "I know I haven't been the best father to Heaven. I know that since I'm not her real father, maybe I don't even have any claim to her. But I do love her. I do want to help find her. Please, let me do this for her, and…for you."
Too shocked the say anything, I nodded at the passenger side door. He got in and sat down, and seconds later, I sped down the mountain road, desperate to find my daughter.
_______
In extreme frustration and worry, I slammed my hand down on the steering wheel. I glanced over and Luke and our eyes met. I saw the fear reflected in his gaze and turned away from him. I could not give in to the despair that threatened to be my undoing, but it was hard to stay optimistic after hours of searching for my daughter.
"Sarah and Heaven have both been gone since this morning," I said, dully. "By now, they could be anywhere."
"We'll find them, Leigh. Don't you worry," Luke said softly.
I glared at him.
"How can you be sure? How can you be confident? My little girl is missing, and we've been searching for hours, and-and we haven't found any trace of her." Luke began to speak, but I cut him off. "Heaven is out there somewhere, maybe tired and hungry and cold, and she must miss me. And I'm not there with her!" I said, with a sob.
The tears that had sought to escape my eyes all day broke free now and traced their own paths down my cheeks. I tried to contain my sobs, but the harder I tried, the fiercer they became.
A few seconds later, I felt an arm slip around my shoulders. Luke pulled me close to his side and embraced me. I let myself be held and tried again to quiet my tears and my fears. Softly, Luke smoothed my hair away from my face and rocked me back and forth.
After a few minutes, I felt calmer, calm enough to disentangle myself from Luke and turn away to regain what was left of my shattered composure.
"Where have we not looked?" I asked quietly.
Both Luke and I sat in silence for a long moment. We had searched for signs of Sarah or Heaven at Winnerrow's only hotel, at the town's two diners, at the town park…anywhere we thought Sarah might have taken Heaven. If they had left, though, they could be anywhere by now. The town did not have an airport though, so unless they had went to--
"The bus station!" I cried. "Luke, we never went there! We have to check, now!"
I raced in that direction, holding out a kernel of hope…
_______
Luke went left and I went right when we entered the bus station. I watched him run off and dodge around people, and breathed a quick prayer for my baby's safety. I ran through the terminal, glancing left and right, calling out for Heaven. Oh, she just had to be here, she just had to be safe… I would never forgive myself if I let anything happen to my precious girl…she was my hope, my redemption, my life… She just had to be safe…
Suddenly, I saw a small, dark-haired girl sitting in one of the plastic chairs. I walked toward her, hoping against hope she was who I was looking for…
"Heaven?" I whispered.
I drew close enough to her to peer into her face…and my heart fell when I realized the girl looked nothing like my daughter.
Weakly, I leaned against the wall. Had Sarah escaped Winnerrow with Heaven? No, I couldn't, I wouldn't believe that…
"LEIGH!" Someone called. My head snapped up at the sound of Luke's voice. "I found her!" I heard him call hoarsely.
I felt my heartbeat speed up and sweat began to collect on my palms. My knees felt watery. I scanned the crowd for Luke, but couldn't see him, and then…then he came into view, carrying the sweetest sight in the world: Heaven. My baby.
"Heaven!" I sobbed as I took her into my arms. "Oh, Heaven, thank God you're safe…"
She wrapped her arms around my neck, clung tightly to me.
"Mama, I was so scared when Sarah made me go with her! I thought I'd never see you…or Tom, or Buddy again!"
"You're safe now, darling. You're safe now," I repeated as I kissed her cheeks. "Mama has you and you're safe."
_______
Over the next day, Luke and I pieced together what had happened. Sarah had hidden Heaven in the woods during the early morning hours, and had retrieved her when she had fled the cabin. She had shuffled her through town to finally end up at the bus station. Then, Sarah had gotten on a bus and had left Heaven there. Luke and I had arrived a few moments later.
Those few minutes had made all the difference. Five more minutes and Heaven might have been lost to me forever… I was beyond grateful for her safety.
I kept her with me in my apartment for three days after the incident. Sarah had not returned, and I doubted she would. I had offered to move into the cabin, but Luke insisted he could take care of the children on his own.
I decided to let him…but I would keep a close watch on them to make sure they were all okay. Never again would I take for granted what I now had.
______________
Author's Note: I apologize for my lack of updates. I hope to finish this story within the next month or so. Look for more chapters soon, and, as always, thank for your reviews and support. --Molli
The entire flight back to West Virginia was a blur to me. I did not notice the other passengers, the food I ate, or the movie that was shown. Instead, I went over and over what Luke had told me on the phone.
I had given him Jennifer's phone number in case of an emergency, never expecting he would even remember the number..much less have to use it.
"I came back to the cabin," he had said, more calmly than I, "and Heaven was gone. Tom and Fanny were there, but not Heaven."
"Luke, what could have happened?" I had cried, shrilly.
"I don't know. But if I were you, I'd get back here quick."
I had booked the first flight out of Greenville, briefly explained to Josh what had happened, told Jennifer I would call her soon with news, grabbed my bags and ordered the cab driver to get me to the airport as fast as he could.
I hadn't wanted to leave Josh without saying anything regarding the kiss we had shared, so I had promised to call him, too. He had wanted to come back to Winnerrow with me, but I had told him that although I appreciated the offer, he shouldn't have to get too involved in my life.
"We didn't work out the first or second times. Maybe Heaven coming up missing is an omen that we wouldn't work out a third time."
I had left him with pain in his eyes…but my heart was splitting in two. My daughter, my baby, was missing. Missing!
The word reverberated inside my head during the drive into Winnerrow and to the cabin. Missing, missing, Heaven was missing. Tears threatened to be my undoing, but I wouldn't let myself cry. I couldn't let myself cry. I might not stop once I started.
Finally, I reached Luke's cabin, and turned off the car engine. Without pausing to catch my breath, I ran up the steps and into the cabin.
I had not spent much time inside the cabin that housed the Casteel family since my return to Winnerrow. What I had seen had confirmed my suspicion that the inside was as run-down as the outside had been allowed to become.
Now, though, the knowledge that Heaven was gone seemed to have thrown a blanket of darkness around the entire cabin. Tom and Fanny, Sarah's two children with Luke, sat on the big bed--the cabin's one bed--while Toby and Annie sat their rocking chairs. Luke was pacing the floors, his boots pounding against the wood. At my entrance, he looked up, his face tight and drawn, his eyes angry.
"Sarah's gone, too," he announced.
"What?"
"Sarah's gone. She up an' left. Took her things and left me." He shoved a piece of paper at me, which I read quickly.
Dear Luke:
Can't take no more of ya not carin' bout me or my feelings. Can't keep hearin' ya call out for yer damned Angel in t' middle of the night! Can't stay with ya when ya run off, leavin' me an the kids alone in t' cabin. Need to be free from ya. I loved ya once, but I don't anymore. I'm takin' what matters most to ya wit me when I go.
Sarah
"What matters most to you?" I repeated. "What does that mean?"
Luke grimaced.
"I don't know. I went out an looked for her…looked for both of em, but couldn't find neither." He glanced at Fanny and Tom and then continued. "The kids said Heaven was gone when they all got up this morning, and Sarah left without making them any breakfast."
"I have to go out and look for Heaven. Luke, you know that Sarah hates me. What she wrote in that note proves it! I believe she took Heaven, and I intend to find Sarah. Where I find her will be where I find my daughter."
I ran back out of the cabin, and to my surprise, Luke ran after me. He caught up to me at my car.
"Leigh… I want to go with you." At my look of confusion, he hurried on. "I know I haven't been the best father to Heaven. I know that since I'm not her real father, maybe I don't even have any claim to her. But I do love her. I do want to help find her. Please, let me do this for her, and…for you."
Too shocked the say anything, I nodded at the passenger side door. He got in and sat down, and seconds later, I sped down the mountain road, desperate to find my daughter.
_______
In extreme frustration and worry, I slammed my hand down on the steering wheel. I glanced over and Luke and our eyes met. I saw the fear reflected in his gaze and turned away from him. I could not give in to the despair that threatened to be my undoing, but it was hard to stay optimistic after hours of searching for my daughter.
"Sarah and Heaven have both been gone since this morning," I said, dully. "By now, they could be anywhere."
"We'll find them, Leigh. Don't you worry," Luke said softly.
I glared at him.
"How can you be sure? How can you be confident? My little girl is missing, and we've been searching for hours, and-and we haven't found any trace of her." Luke began to speak, but I cut him off. "Heaven is out there somewhere, maybe tired and hungry and cold, and she must miss me. And I'm not there with her!" I said, with a sob.
The tears that had sought to escape my eyes all day broke free now and traced their own paths down my cheeks. I tried to contain my sobs, but the harder I tried, the fiercer they became.
A few seconds later, I felt an arm slip around my shoulders. Luke pulled me close to his side and embraced me. I let myself be held and tried again to quiet my tears and my fears. Softly, Luke smoothed my hair away from my face and rocked me back and forth.
After a few minutes, I felt calmer, calm enough to disentangle myself from Luke and turn away to regain what was left of my shattered composure.
"Where have we not looked?" I asked quietly.
Both Luke and I sat in silence for a long moment. We had searched for signs of Sarah or Heaven at Winnerrow's only hotel, at the town's two diners, at the town park…anywhere we thought Sarah might have taken Heaven. If they had left, though, they could be anywhere by now. The town did not have an airport though, so unless they had went to--
"The bus station!" I cried. "Luke, we never went there! We have to check, now!"
I raced in that direction, holding out a kernel of hope…
_______
Luke went left and I went right when we entered the bus station. I watched him run off and dodge around people, and breathed a quick prayer for my baby's safety. I ran through the terminal, glancing left and right, calling out for Heaven. Oh, she just had to be here, she just had to be safe… I would never forgive myself if I let anything happen to my precious girl…she was my hope, my redemption, my life… She just had to be safe…
Suddenly, I saw a small, dark-haired girl sitting in one of the plastic chairs. I walked toward her, hoping against hope she was who I was looking for…
"Heaven?" I whispered.
I drew close enough to her to peer into her face…and my heart fell when I realized the girl looked nothing like my daughter.
Weakly, I leaned against the wall. Had Sarah escaped Winnerrow with Heaven? No, I couldn't, I wouldn't believe that…
"LEIGH!" Someone called. My head snapped up at the sound of Luke's voice. "I found her!" I heard him call hoarsely.
I felt my heartbeat speed up and sweat began to collect on my palms. My knees felt watery. I scanned the crowd for Luke, but couldn't see him, and then…then he came into view, carrying the sweetest sight in the world: Heaven. My baby.
"Heaven!" I sobbed as I took her into my arms. "Oh, Heaven, thank God you're safe…"
She wrapped her arms around my neck, clung tightly to me.
"Mama, I was so scared when Sarah made me go with her! I thought I'd never see you…or Tom, or Buddy again!"
"You're safe now, darling. You're safe now," I repeated as I kissed her cheeks. "Mama has you and you're safe."
_______
Over the next day, Luke and I pieced together what had happened. Sarah had hidden Heaven in the woods during the early morning hours, and had retrieved her when she had fled the cabin. She had shuffled her through town to finally end up at the bus station. Then, Sarah had gotten on a bus and had left Heaven there. Luke and I had arrived a few moments later.
Those few minutes had made all the difference. Five more minutes and Heaven might have been lost to me forever… I was beyond grateful for her safety.
I kept her with me in my apartment for three days after the incident. Sarah had not returned, and I doubted she would. I had offered to move into the cabin, but Luke insisted he could take care of the children on his own.
I decided to let him…but I would keep a close watch on them to make sure they were all okay. Never again would I take for granted what I now had.
______________
Author's Note: I apologize for my lack of updates. I hope to finish this story within the next month or so. Look for more chapters soon, and, as always, thank for your reviews and support. --Molli