ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟝𝟛
????????????? ????
Today, the station was loud.
Normally, I liked that, but as for today, I couldn't stand it.
The phones kept ringing. Someone was laughing down the hall as boots dragged across the concrete floor. I sat at the desk, staring at the same piece of paperwork I'd been reading for the last ten minutes.
I hadn't absorbed a single word.
I sighed and leaned back in my chair.
I should've stayed home. Ever since Dixie had left, working had become harder.
I could do my job, I just couldn't stop thinking about her.
Lately, even when it wasn't quiet, I could still hear her voice say, Maybe we should get a divorce.
I clenched my jaw. I didn't want to think about that.
I would never want to separate from her.
I reached for another stack of paperwork.
"Cam."
I looked up. Ryan stood in the doorway.
"What?"
"Here, I was told to give these to you."
I glanced down at the papers and folders in his hands. I rubbed my face, sighing, before reaching over and grabbing the materials from him.
"Thanks."
He walked inside and leaned against the desk.
"You don't look too good. Was it because I told Hunter about you and Dixie that day? Listen, I'm sorry, Cam."
"No, it's not that. I'm fine."
Ryan gave me a look.
"I've just been tired recently." I sighed.
I haven't had a normal night's sleep in weeks.
"If you'll excuse me, I'm working."
Ryan stared at me for another second, then shook his head. He glanced at the paperwork I'd barely touched.
"Right, work."
"I don't want to talk about anything right now." I rubbed my forehead. I really didn't have the patience for this.
Ryan studied me for a second. "Is it Dixie?"
My jaw tightened. "I said I don't want to talk about it."
"Did something happen between you two again?"
"Ryan, stop-"
"Did you guys divorce for real this time?"
I looked at him sharply. That was never going to happen.
"Can we not do this right now?"
He immediately quieted.
I wasn't angry at him, I was just exhausted. Every conversation found its way back to Dixie. Every time it did, I felt that same hollow ache in my chest.
Ryan leaned back. "Fine."
"Thank you." I picked up my pen again.
Ryan spoke again. "But if you need someone to talk to-"
My phone started ringing. I glanced down.
It was Dad.
Ryan tilted his head.
I grabbed the phone. "Excuse me."
"Hey, Dad." I stood and walked a few steps away from the desk before answering.
His voice came through the phone. "Cameron!"
I crossed my arms.
"What happened?"
"Molly is here."
I swear my heart skipped a beat. For a second, I genuinely thought I'd heard him wrong.
"What?"
"Molly's here, son."
"She's... she's with you?"
"She's with your mother and me."
I closed my eyes. My knees suddenly felt weak.
"She's safe."
Safe.
I turned away from Ryan, pressing my free hand against my forehead.
"Where was she?"
"At my brother's house."
My eyes opened.
I stared at the wall putting it together.
Michael. My father's brother. Uncle Michael.
The man my father hadn't spoken to in years. His name barely came up in our family anymore.
"But you haven't talked to him in..."
"Years. I know."
I shook my head. None of this made sense. "How did Molly even know where he lived?"
"We're still trying to figure that out."
"Is she hurt?" My heart was pounding.
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Cameron. You can take my word for it."
"Did she eat?..Is she okay?"
"She's shaken, but she's okay."
I swallowed hard.
I had spent weeks imagining every possible nightmare, and now, suddenly, she was alive.
She was safe, and she was home.
"Come home, okay?"
"I am." I ended the call.
Ryan was watching me from across the room. His eyebrows were raised.
"Cam?"
I walked straight back to my desk, grabbing my keys, wallet. I shoved everything into my pockets with haste.
Ryan stood. "Where are you going?"
"I've gotta go, man." I grabbed my jacket from the back of my chair.
"Cam, what happened?"
I didn't answer. I started gathering the papers on my desk, barely caring about organizing them anymore.
My hands were shaking.
Molly was actually alive.
After all those nights, and missing posters. All those times I'd stared at my phone waiting for something that never came.
She was finally here.
"Cam." Ryan followed me toward the door. "Seriously, man, where are you going?"
I finally looked at him without stopping my pace. "My sister."
"Huh?"
I couldn't stop the smile from breaking across my face. It was probably the first real smile I'd had in weeks.
"She's back."
Ryan's mouth fell open.
I didn't wait for another question as I pushed through the station doors.
"Cam!" I heard Ryan following behind me.
I walked even faster.
My heart was pounding so hard it almost hurt.
I could see her- I could hug her. I could hear her voice again. I could finally stop wondering where she was every second of every day.
I reached my car and pulled the door open.
"Do you want me to drive you?" Ryan stopped a few feet away.
I shook my head.
"No." I yelled back.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Go back, Ryan!" I climbed inside, quickly pulling away from the station.
~
I knocked on my parents' front door so hard my knuckles hurt. I didn't even wait for someone to answer before knocking again.
The door opened suddenly, and my mother stood there.
She threw her arms around me. "Cameron."
"Hey, mom, hey."
She hugged me tightly, and I hugged her back, but my eyes were already searching past her shoulder.
"Where is she?"
My mother pulled back, tears already gathering in her eyes. "She's inside."
"Thank you"
"Cameron, wait-"
I stepped through the doorway and nearly collided with one of the investigators.
"Sorry."
I barely stopped. There were police officers everywhere.
Two investigators stood near the living room, speaking quietly to my father. Another officer was sitting at the dining table with a laptop open. There were papers spread across almost every available surface.
My heart was pounding, but none of that mattered because then I saw her.
Molly was sitting on the couch, criss-cross apple sauce.
"Molly?"
Her head snapped up. "Cameron!"
She jumped off the couch.
I dropped down in front of her and wrapped both arms around her. She hugged me back immediately. I squeezed her so tightly I was terrified I was hurting her.
I couldn't let go. "Oh my gosh. Molly."
She buried her face against my shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left."
I pulled back enough to look at her. My hands went to either side of her face. "Do you have any idea how worried we all were?"
"I know. I'm sorry." She nodded slowly.
"I thought something happened to you."
"I'm okay, Cam."
"Yeah," I laughed shakily. "Yeah, you are."
I hugged her again.
I didn't care who was watching.
I had spent weeks imagining the worst, and now my little sister was standing in front of me. I didn't know whether I wanted to laugh or cry.
Eventually, Molly pulled away. "I didn't mean to scare everybody. It just kind of felt like nobody noticed me."
"Molly."
"I didn't think anyone would care if I left." She looked down.
My jaw clenched.
"Don't ever think that. We care," I brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "Everybody cares."
She nodded. "I know that now."
I pulled her into another hug. When I finally let her go, I looked around the room. I noticed the man standing beside my father. Uncle Michael.
I hadn't seen him properly before.
He looked uncomfortable.
I stepped up to both of them, and my father noticed me.
"Cameron."
"Hey, dad."
He came over and hugged me. He never gave me the kind of hugs my mother or Julia had given me. My father wasn't really built for those- but he held me firmly.
"I'm glad you're here."
I nodded. "Where did Molly go?"
"This is your uncle Michael." My father looked toward the man beside him.
I looked at him, but couldn't say anything.
I hadn't seen Uncle Michael in years. Dad had cut him out of our lives a long time ago. There had always been a reason, I just never fully understood it, nor did I care to.
I extended my hand. "Uncle Michael."
"Cameron West," He shook it. "I wish we were meeting under better circumstances."
"Yeah, me too."
Michael looked down. "So uhm, Molly came to my house several days ago. She asked if she could stay."
"But why you let her without notifying us?" My father crossed his arms.
Michael looked at him. "I thought you knew, Ralph. "I always assumed you knew where she was."
I stared at him. "Why would you think that?"
"Because she seemed calm." Michael glanced back at me. "She wasn't acting like a child who had run away, you know?"
"I didn't know she was missing...then yesterday I saw the community meeting video. The one where everyone was asking people to look for her."
"That's when I realized." He looked toward my father. "I promise, I called the police immediately."
I exhaled slowly. "So you've been keeping her safe this whole time?"
Michael nodded. "Yes."
I looked at my uncle again. I didn't know what to think about him.
"Thank you."
He seemed surprised. "You don't have to thank me, Cameron."
"I do. I'm glad she was with someone she knew out of anyone else."
Whatever had happened between him and Dad years ago, he had kept Molly safe, and thats what mattered.
Dad looked away.
I felt Molly tugged gently on my sleeve. "Cameron?"
"Yeah?" I looked down.
She smiled faintly. "Are you going to stay? These police guys have made it a little boring here."
"We'll see, okay?" I glanced around.
She nodded. "Okay."
I saw Jonathan out the corner of my eyes coming towards us.
"Cam!"
I smiled. "Hey, buddy. How are you?"
"I'm happy shes back now." He looked towards Molly.
Molly snickered.
"Gosh, you sound so cheesy!"
Jonathan playfully hit Molly's head before turning to me. "Where's Dixie?"
I sighed. It would've been nice with her by my side, actually.
"Is she mad because I was gone?" Molly crossed her arms.