Page 23 of Ten Years Later
Keaton wanted more than life to go to Ponte Vedra and drive by Emily’s house, but he didn’t. He couldn’t risk Mia seeing him or pushing her to the point where she called the cops.
That thought made him pause.
Whyhadn’tshe called the cops? If he found his daughter alone in their home with a strange man, he sure as hell would’ve.
No, if Mia called the cops it’d send up red flags. They’d look into her just as much as they dug into him. She couldn’t risk that.
Which brought him to the next thought. Why take his daughter and then stay in the area? Granted they lived forty-five minutes north, yet still. Was it a hide in plain sight thing? Maybe…
All of that aside, Keaton made himself stay put.
He spent time sketching the mural that he would start tomorrow. He ate soup. He taped the drawing he tore from Emily’s book to his daughter’s closed door. For a very long time, he stared at what she had sketched—the father, mother, and daughter flying colorful kites.
He stared so long that when his phone chirped it startled him. Keaton pulled up his text message.
Emily: Hi, this is Emily! Is this Zane?
Keaton nearly dropped his phone.
Keaton: Yes, Zane here. Are you having a good Sunday?
Emily: Agh, so so. You?
Keaton: Agh, so so.
Emily: LOL.
Smiling, he walked into the kitchen.
Keaton: What do you have planned?
Emily: Beach. You?
Keaton: I’m sketching the mural that I’m painting tomorrow.
Emily: That sounds neat!
Keaton: Which beach you going to?
Emily: Just the one off my neighborhood. If you’re bored, you can join me. I’ll probably collect shells.
Keaton: No swimming/surfing?
Emily: Nah. I’ll be alone. No Mia to worry about. Bring Vivian. That’s your daughter’s name, right?
Keaton: I’ll be there in an hour.
14 /TWELVE YEARS AGO
Dana boardedthe plane to Orlando with Emily. Her daughter’s first flight went much better than expected. They played games and colored. They shared earphones to watch a cartoon. Eventually, Emily slept.
Disney turned out to be another matter.
Emily cried when she met Mickey. She refused to hug Goofy. She trembled at the sight of Snow White. She sobbed during the rides. She wouldn’t let go of Dana for one single second.
Disney terrified Emily.
“She’s probably too young,” an elderly lady said as Emily, with a flushed face, launched into an all-out temper tantrum in the line forIt’s a Small World.
