Ch. 23 - Gone
The Chapman door creaked open slowly as Mr. Chapman stepped inside. Weary and concerned, he sighed deeply and walked into the living room, surprised at what he saw. He smiled and walked towards the figure in the room.
“Tessa…” he whispered.
She was sitting on the floor, tracing the wood lines. But when she heard her father’s voice, her face lit up. She looked up with tears in her eyes. “Oh daddy!” she called out as she ran forward to hug him.
Mr. Chapman took her in tightly. “Oh Tessa!” he called dramatically at her. He pulled her face back to look at him. “Where have you been? Don’t you know I’ve been worried sick?” he asked, looking deep into those hazel eyes of hers.
“Oh daddy, I’m so sorry I just…I…” she muttered.
Mr. Chapman brought her back into his arms. “It’s alright, darling. It’s alright…” he whispered, brushing her hair gently with his hands. “As long as you’re okay.”
“I was just mad, that’s all. I’m sorry, I know it’s none of my business, but…but….” She sighed.
Mr. Chapman rocked her back and forth. “Oh Tessa, I should’ve told you,” he said. “And believe me…in due time, I’ll tell you what’s all going on. But for right now, you’re just going to have to trust me, alright?” he asked.
Tessa leaned back and looked into her father’s gentle eyes. “Okay,” she sighed, and flung back into his arms. “Oh, I love you daddy!”
He held her close. “I love you too,” and deep in his mind he was saying thank-you…to that little girl with her knitted sweater.
…………………………………………………………
The clock stroke two am. Jack hustled up to his bedroom and shook his wife, Lucy, awake.
“Lucy, Lucy, Lucy…” he said, rubbing her shoulder softly.
She mumbled a few words, turned over and went back to sleep.
“Lucy!” he said, shaking her hard.
“What?” she asked, flinging her eyes open and staring him hard in the face.
“Sam’s not home,” he said.
Lucy blinked hard, sat up and looked at the clock. “It’s two am!” she said.
Jack nodded knowingly and disappointingly. “I know…” he said.
“What should we do?” she asked, getting frantic.
“Calm down, calm down…I’m gonna go out and look for him and Laura,” he said.
“No nonono…don’t do that, that’s….”
“Nonsense?” he asked. “A few nights ago he was out till three with Laura as well. I don’t like where this is going,” he said.
Lucy got up out of bed and followed Jack as he headed out the door. “Now, now Jack, don’t get too suspicious. I mean, Sam is a good boy. He’s moral,” she said.
“He’s also eighteen,” Jack said.
Lucy was speechless.
“Now, you just stay here…I’ll be back soon enough,” he said, and then he was gone.
Lucy fell down upon the couch in the living room and determined herself to stay up and wait. If Sam WAS getting into some trouble with Laura, she would be ready with questioning and a punishment….
“Tessa…” he whispered.
She was sitting on the floor, tracing the wood lines. But when she heard her father’s voice, her face lit up. She looked up with tears in her eyes. “Oh daddy!” she called out as she ran forward to hug him.
Mr. Chapman took her in tightly. “Oh Tessa!” he called dramatically at her. He pulled her face back to look at him. “Where have you been? Don’t you know I’ve been worried sick?” he asked, looking deep into those hazel eyes of hers.
“Oh daddy, I’m so sorry I just…I…” she muttered.
Mr. Chapman brought her back into his arms. “It’s alright, darling. It’s alright…” he whispered, brushing her hair gently with his hands. “As long as you’re okay.”
“I was just mad, that’s all. I’m sorry, I know it’s none of my business, but…but….” She sighed.
Mr. Chapman rocked her back and forth. “Oh Tessa, I should’ve told you,” he said. “And believe me…in due time, I’ll tell you what’s all going on. But for right now, you’re just going to have to trust me, alright?” he asked.
Tessa leaned back and looked into her father’s gentle eyes. “Okay,” she sighed, and flung back into his arms. “Oh, I love you daddy!”
He held her close. “I love you too,” and deep in his mind he was saying thank-you…to that little girl with her knitted sweater.
…………………………………………………………
The clock stroke two am. Jack hustled up to his bedroom and shook his wife, Lucy, awake.
“Lucy, Lucy, Lucy…” he said, rubbing her shoulder softly.
She mumbled a few words, turned over and went back to sleep.
“Lucy!” he said, shaking her hard.
“What?” she asked, flinging her eyes open and staring him hard in the face.
“Sam’s not home,” he said.
Lucy blinked hard, sat up and looked at the clock. “It’s two am!” she said.
Jack nodded knowingly and disappointingly. “I know…” he said.
“What should we do?” she asked, getting frantic.
“Calm down, calm down…I’m gonna go out and look for him and Laura,” he said.
“No nonono…don’t do that, that’s….”
“Nonsense?” he asked. “A few nights ago he was out till three with Laura as well. I don’t like where this is going,” he said.
Lucy got up out of bed and followed Jack as he headed out the door. “Now, now Jack, don’t get too suspicious. I mean, Sam is a good boy. He’s moral,” she said.
“He’s also eighteen,” Jack said.
Lucy was speechless.
“Now, you just stay here…I’ll be back soon enough,” he said, and then he was gone.
Lucy fell down upon the couch in the living room and determined herself to stay up and wait. If Sam WAS getting into some trouble with Laura, she would be ready with questioning and a punishment….
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