by Tia Siren
“I’m falling for her though, big time. She has got me hooked bad,” I explained.
“Well, you better get back to her and Emmy. You don’t want women problems like mine, that is for sure,” Owen replied with a grin.
“If everything is okay here, I will head off home,” I said.
“It’s cool, I promise you,” Owen said as I climbed into the car.
After parking the car, I walked into the house and was greeted by the smell of burnt food and oil. Katie was stuck to the sink, scrubbing burnt food from one of the pans.
“Damn. What happened here? I asked.
“I burned the food. I needed a pee, so I ran off. I thought I had turned the stove off, but obviously not,” Katie said. I opened the patio to let the smoke out.
“Emmy, Daddy is home,” I called.
Silence. There was never silence when I arrived home. Maybe the door to her room had closed with the patio open. I walked to her room and found the door closed.
She has been locked inside?
I opened the door and walked into Emmy's room.
“Emmy, where are you?” I called.
Maybe she's hiding?
“Are you hiding from Daddy,” I said jokingly and opened the closet door.
Nothing.
“Or maybe you’re hiding, under the bed,” I yelled and dropped on my knees to look under the bed.
Still nothing?
“Have you seen Emmy?” I called to Katie.
“She was here. Is she not in her room?” Katie called.
“She’s not there, and she’s not in any other rooms,” I yelled back.
“Emmy, where are you?” I yelled and ran into the back garden.
There was no sign of Emmy in the garden. I went around the side of the house. Fuck, the gate was open. I ran back to the kitchen.
“Where the fuck is Emmy? God, she’s not here,” I yelled.
“She was just playing, and when I went for a pee, she was still there. I opened the patio door to let the smoke out,” Katie explained.
My heart raced like a freight train.
“I only stood by the sink, so she must have just sneaked out because of the smoke,” Katie added.
“Well she is fucking gone now. God knows why I left you in charge of a kid. I must have been crazy to think she would be okay,” I screamed.
“I only took my eyes off her for a second,” Katie said in defense.
“Katie, it only takes a fucking second to disappear. Fucking kids; they have no sense,” I screamed and headed to the front door.
I ran down the driveway and looked down the road. There was no sign of her anywhere.
“Katie, how the fuck could you let this happen to Emmy? I have already lost one woman in my life, and I don’t want to lose another one due to you being irresponsible,” I yelled.
“It was a second, Cam. That’s all! I wasn’t irresponsible. You know how I care for her,” Katie said as tears started to fill in her eyes.
“Well, she isn’t on this street. You go down that one, and I will check this one towards the day care center. Bang on fucking doors and ask if anyone has seen her!” I yelled.
Katie had tears streaming down her face. She was devastated, but I was too. I couldn’t see past my own horror to help the situation at all. I had to find my little girl.
“You can forget crying. That isn’t going to help. This is Emmy we are talking about, and if anything happens to her, God-damn it, just move your ass and get looking,” I yelled and headed off down the next street.
I ran to each house and asked the families there is they had seen a little kid walking around. Many answered that they had not been out front, so they wouldn’t have noticed. The feeling was worse than war. One by one, the houses were checked on each side of the road. I could see the base shopping strip in the distance. Maybe she had walked this way to look for me.
Fuck, Katie, why did you do this to me? And why would you do it to Emmy? You know how much she means to me. Shit, fuck. Emmy, where are you? Where the fuck are you Emmy? You can’t walk that fast. You wouldn’t get that far. Damn. It is my fault! I should have taken her with me. I always knew Katie would be trouble, and what fucking trouble it turned out to be.
I glanced behind me up the street and there was no sign of her. I could see a few of the families checking around the area. Emmy was small, and she could have gone anywhere, even the drain covers could have swallowed her up if she had fallen in.
“Emmy,” I yelled. God, no. Fuck no. “Where are you dear? Daddy’s not angry. He just wants you to come home.”
I approached the shopping strip and ran around the shops. I stopped by the ones that were open and asked the staff if they had seen Emmy anywhere. No luck. There was just the daycare center, and then from there to the gate, was the park. Fuck, if she has walked into the park, she could have fallen and hurt herself in the trees.
I got to the daycare center and it was closed. The only person who worked there on the weekend was the janitor.
“Clive, have you seen Emmy this morning?” I called into the playground.
“No Sir, seen no sign of any kids this morning. And I have been here since six,” he called back.
“Just keep your eyes open, will you?” I asked.
“Sure thing. If I see her I will bring her home,” Clive said as he entered the center.
I sat on the bench for a few minutes to gather my composure. She wouldn’t be able to go further into the base as there was another security gate and they would have brought her straight home. There were only the park and two other streets she could be in.
Katie appeared at the bottom of the one street, and I walked over toward her.
“Any sign?” I asked.
“Nothing down that street. I knocked on all the doors, and everyone has checked their yards,” Katie explained.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck, Katie! Why did you not watch her all the time. You know how quick she moves, now that she can walk,” I said angrily. “I’m going to the security gate for the base. You check the end street, and I will do this street. I will meet you back at home.”
“Okay,” Katie said and walked off, upset that I was holding her responsible.
I walked toward the gate on the main road. If there was no sign, the only explanation could be she has been taken, and God knows what would happen if someone has the indecency to nab her and take her from the base.
“Morning Sir,” Scott said as he saluted me.
“Fuck that Scott. Emmy has gone missing. Have there been any strange vehicles in or out this morning?
“Not really. It has been quiet after the concert,” Scott said.
“Do me a favor and keep an eye out for her,” I said.
Shit, the fairground. I never thought of that. Maybe she had toddled onto the base and gone back to the fairground. I ran across the bottom of the support road and headed into the base. I could see teams of people busy wrapping up the fairground and loading it into trucks.
I asked around all the teams, and none of them had seen her. I quickly ran back to the last street and checked all the doors. No one had seen Emmy. They said they would all keep their eyes open in case they saw her.
My head bowed down as I slowly walked back toward the house, very slowly and mulled over the whole situation of what could have happened to Emmy. I could see Katie sitting on the curb; her head was bowed and I could hear her sobbing as I approached.
She looked up at me as I neared her.
“I take it no one has seen her?” I asked Katie.
She shook her head as tears streamed down her cheeks. I could see her holding something close to her chest.
“What you got there?” I asked.
“It is her unicorn from the fair,” Katie said Her tears flowed.
Emmy had instantly fallen in love with her stuffed unicorn and wouldn’t put it down. She even took it to bed with her last night.
“Well, that won’t help find her,” I said angrily.
; “No, I found it,” Katie said and wiped her eyes.
“Where was it, in the house?” I asked.
Katie lifted her head and looked deep into my eyes. “No, it was on the road.”
Well, at least we know she went down here, and it is the only street left that we have not checked. My heart sank and I started knocking on all the remaining doors asking if anyone had seen Emmy this morning. The answer was the same from each home. No one had laid eyes on Emmy. I reached the bottom of the street and could see Katie slowly walking down the center of the road.
Her head was bowed down as she took short steps towards her home.
Chapter 30
Katie
All the families in the neighboring streets had been out looking for Emmy, and the only sign we had found was her stuffed unicorn that I had found on the street. The signs looked grim that she had somehow been taken. Families stood in their gardens and chatted amongst themselves. They were all dressed in their PJs, and it looked like something appalling was going to happen, like they were just waiting for the spaceships to come or something ridiculous.
I continued to walk down the street and saw Cam slowly walking up to me. I had not realized it before; I just looked like I had just gotten out from bed and was wearing short cutoffs. I had the baggy navy t-shirt that Cam had left on the bed for me, which just happened to have his name printed on the back of it. And, to top it all off, I was not wearing a bra. I had not realized that my nipples had gotten hard with all the excitement and the running around.
For anyone who was now standing on the street looking for Emmy, it was obvious where I had spent the night and why I was in the middle of a search for Cam's missing daughter. I felt sorry for the Admiral. God… my dad would be part of the innuendo as all the neighbors would look at him now in an entirely different way than they used to do. The respect he had would somehow evaporate from all my sneaking around and screwing with one of his officers… well and truly under his nose.
I stood on the street as Cam slowly approached me. My hands just lolled at the side of my body, and I held the stuffed unicorn in my hand. I could hear my sobs. Cam reached into his pocket and started to pull out his cell phone.
“Well Katie, there is no use for it. I’m gonna have to speak to the cops for the second time today, both on not so savory subjects,” Cam explained.
“Cam, I’m beside myself. I have no idea what to say or what to do. I’m gutted. And if anything happens to her, I have no idea how I can ever expect you to forgive me,” I said and glanced up at my house.
“Good morning you two. Nice to see you up so early together,” the Admiral said as he stepped out from the front door.
We both glanced in the direction of the Admiral. Fuck, we were caught red-handed, so to speak. He was not stupid, and I had Cam's name all over my back. It showed that I had not spent the night at home, just as I promised I would do.
“What are you doing out so early anyway? Dear God, you look like you’re looking for something?” the Admiral asked.
“Dad, I have lost Emmy. I was cooking and burned the food, and that is when she wandered off. We have looked everywhere for her,” I said, tears flooding down my face.
“Ah, I see. Have you called the cops yet?” the Admiral asked.
“Just about to do it, Sir.” Cam said as he held the phone up in the air.
“I wouldn’t bother if I were you,” the Admiral said.
“Why not Sir. They will be able to help,” Cam said, feeling distraught that the Admiral said not to bother.
Was he just pissed with Cam, over the fact that I had spent the night there? Gosh, maybe it was payback for screwing his daughter. And if Cam had paid attention to his daughter, rather than to me, she might not have gone missing.
Shit.
“One reason is, I have Emmy here,” the Admiral said. Emmy walked from the door with a cup of water.
I was stirred by a million and one emotions. I was just so happy to see Emmy as she walked from behind Dad, sipping at her water and waving at me.
“High Katie!” Emmy called.
“And ‘hello to you, you little madam,’” I said.
“You should be more careful with your family, Cam. I thought you were one person who understood that more than anyone?” said Dad.
“I do, Sir. It was just that this morning a friend called me for help, so I had to leave pretty quickly,” Cam explained.
I looked around and could see the gardens were full of families who were watching and listening to the events that were unfolding before them. It must have made for a fascinating Saturday morning, compared to normal.
I looked at Dad and then broke down in a fit of tears. Cam crumpled to the floor, and I could hear him crying with relief. That was the softest he had ever appeared, and the one moment he had seemed to be out of control of a situation.
I watched as Cam gathered his composure and ran up the drive. He scooped Emmy up into his arms and hugged her so tight.
“Oh, Emmy, I was so worried. I thought I had lost you, baby,” he said and kissed her cheeks.
“I was tired, Daddy. Emmy cooking food bad. Smell burn,” Emmy said as Cam held her tight.
“You should not leave the house by yourself Emmy, it is not safe,” I explained to Emmy.
“It was the smell and smoke. I was scared, so I went walking.”
The Admiral, my dad, said he had come out for the morning paper and saw Emmy sitting at the bottom of the driveway.
“Oh, and she told me she was thirsty as it was a long way from her house.” He had taken her inside when he could see no one had missed her.
“Thank you, Sir. I’m forever in your debt,” Cam said to the Admiral.
“That is not the thing to say to someone in my position. I may just ask for the debt to be repaid, and who knows how that will be,” he said.
I walked towards Cam and Emmy and could see Dad watching on, smiling over the fact that they had been reunited. I couldn’t help myself; I just had to join the party. I threw my arms around Cam and Emmy and hugged them close. Cam opened his arm and pulled me closer to him. He kissed me on the head.
We were so wrapped up in the emotion, we had forgotten that my dad, the Admiral, was right next to us watching every single move and hearing every little word we said.
“Ahem, don’t mind me,” Dad said as we hugged.
Anyone who had watched us would have thought we were a real family rather than a decorated SEAL and his young girlfriend, so to speak. I was oblivious to everything around me, and I was just happy and overjoyed that Emmy was safe and sound.
As I said to Cam, before I would have had no way to understand how he could forgive me. And, in a way, that thought remained. But the only difference was, Emmy was safe rather than missing.
“Well Katie, I must say, the outfit is not one I have seen you in before?” Dad said.
“Well, Dad, it is a long story,” I said.
“I have time. It is still early in the day,” Dad said.
‘Dad, have a seat and I will tell you all about it,” I explained.
“First things first. Cam had to rush over to Owen’s as he was having a problem with his ex-wife,” I said.
“There you go; Navy guys have family problems,” Dad replied.
“It was not like that. Owens ex-wife cheated on him when he was on tour,” I explained.
“Well, that is slightly different. Keep going,” he said.
“Cam shot off in the car. I started to cook breakfast and, halfway through, I needed the bathroom. I thought I had turned the gas off, or to low, but when I came back, the kitchen was full of smoke,” I explained.
“Yep. I’m with you so far,” Dad said, nodding.
“Well, I opened the patio door, and started to soak the burned food from the pan,” I said.
“Yes, with you, proceed,” he said.
“Cam came home and saw the mess and went to look for Emmy. That was when we realized she was not there, and had walked out of the
side gate,” I said, with a slightly embarrassed look.
“And I bet he was livid?” he asked.
“Livid was not the word for it. He was piss--” I started to say as Dad looked at me sternly, “I was really upset with myself.”
I explained more about how we had checked all the streets and Cam had even gone as far as the park and the gate to the base, plus the fun fair from last night. There had been no sign of her, and the last street we had checked was ours. If we had checked here first, we could have saved a lot of time and a lot of stress. Cam took Emmy home.
“Well, you certainly covered everywhere she could have been, if I had not found her,” Dad said.
“We thought, at that point, that she had been nabbed, especially when I found her unicorn on the street,” I said with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat.
“Let me say something now, Katie, and listen good. You can see why I worry about you, even though you’re older. It doesn’t take long for someone to disappear these days,” Dad said and placed his arm around my shoulder.
“I know Dad, and I’m sorry, especially to Cam. I just don’t know how to make it up to him,” I said.
“He will come around. But I think there is a lot you have forgotten to tell me, like how did you and him first, you know, get together, and how long has it been going on?” Dad asked.
“It all started at the party. You know, the one with the kid and the video where Cam saved me. Well, after that, he took me for a burger to sober up as I knew you would kill me,” I said with a grin.
“And it started?” Dad asked.
“No. Cam was a real gentleman, and didn’t try anything. I have, to be honest; I did try and get something to happen, yet he was having none of it,” I explained.
“And, what happened after that?” Dad asked, listening carefully.
“I pestered Cam, rather than him chasing me. And, from his side, things just escalated naturally. On my side, though I had always had feelings for him from the start, I can just tell he’s a very special man. And Emmy, I just adore her; we get on so well together,” I explained in high detail.
“So, there has been quite a lot happening behind my back?” Dad asked.
“Not really. We have had our moments, and we have both been upset with each other. Yet, we just seem to make it all better, if not stronger than it was before,” I explained more.
