Page 73 of Here With Me

David stood next to the fire pit and listened as he moved his flashlight over the familiar terrain of his grandparents’ land. The light lit up the playhouse he’d built, and a paper moved inside, but it was empty. Mamá Gata wove between his legs, purring and swishing her tail.

The moon reflected off the pond, and the water gently rippled in the sharp night breeze. Sadie said Lottie hated the water, but what better place to hide than the location she hated most?

His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he yanked it out, but it was a text from Lance. He didn’t even open it, just repocketed it and kept moving his flashlight over the ground. He’d have to tell Lance later that he’d missed his flight, but that didn’t matter. Nothing mattered right now but finding Lottie.

David’s heart pounded dangerously against his chest, and Mamá Gata rubbed his leg harder. If he didn’t want to be found, he’d try and find the least obvious place to hide. Would Lottie think like that?

Mamá Gata meowed as if to encourage David to follow his thoughts.

“Lottie!” David’s voice mixed with others who called in the distance. The water rippled again, and he jogged toward the dock. It might be a waste of time, but his gut told him to check it out. Using his flashlight to scan the landscape, he called for Lottie again and again.

Only the sounds of the quiet nighttime responded. That and the distant calls from other searchers. He glanced at his watch. How long did it take for hypothermia to set in? Was it even cold enough for that? The cold night breeze fluttered the trees, and David tucked the blanket he carried closer.

“Lottie?” He tried again.

Had he heard something? He paused, listening. The wind rustled the trees behind him, the others searching for Lottie, calling for her.

But there it was again.

A faint sound. He looked down at Mamá Gata, who stared at the pond. He hadn’t been the only one to hear it.

He listened as the breeze rippled over the water, lapping gently against the shore as he crept closer. And then, he heard it again—a muffled cough. David shined his light in the direction of the noise. A shadow moved across the dock as a little girl paced back and forth.

“Lottie?” His heart skipped. Sadie had been so confident the girl wouldn’t go near water. David stepped onto the dock, his flashlight landing on Lottie.

Her eyes widened, and she turned away from him and jumped into a boat tied to the end of the dock.

Air whooshed out of David’s lungs, and he bent over, his hands on his knees. Lottie was safe. He pulled out his phone and sent Sadie a message. Then he shoved the phone in his pants pocket and cupped his mouth. “Found her! Lottie’s over here.”

David stepped closer to talk to her. “Hey, Lottie.”

She sniffed and used her fist to wipe her face.

She stared at him, her lips tight and her arms crossed.

“Lottie, are you okay?” David’s voice scratched across his throat.

She glared at him.

David slowly walked to the edge of the dock. Lottie took a step back in the boat, and it wobbled and strained against the rope keeping it tied to the dock. She lunged for it and untied the boat, holding the rope close to her body.

“I don’t want to talk to you.” Her teeth chattered as she spoke, and the boat floated backward away from the dock. She let out a startled yelp as she sat down, holding the sides of the boat as it rocked, and the rope fell into the water.

“Okay.” David held up his hands. “But I want to talk to you.”

She crossed her arms and rubbed at her bare skin. “Fine. I’ll talk then. You’re leaving. You didn’t even say goodbye. I thought you liked us.” Lottie sniffed again.

David rubbed his forehead. He’d messed up. “I’m sorry Lottie. I’m only going for the weekend.”

“I heard Mom. She said you’re going away. Why would you leave? Mom likes you. I can tell. And you like her.”

“I do lo—” Love. He did. He loved Sadie. Oh man, what had he done? “I do like your mom.”

“So why leave?”

“It’s not for good. I’m coming back.”

“Yet. You said you’re not leaving for good yet. I heard the fight. You look at Mom like she’s special. Like Daddy looked at my birth mom in the pictures. Why leave?”

---