All Brooklyn could hear were her mother and father fighting. They had never been this bad before. As she covered her ears she felt like her world was crashing down.
They'd always been such a happy family. Until recently. Money was tight and that seemed to be the root of most arguments. Even Brooklyn was arguing with her parents more than normal.
She'd just turned 13 and her parents hated the way she dressed, the music she listened to and the friends she hung out with. Sometimes she just felt like disappearing. She wondered if they would even notice she was missing. Probably not since they were so busy yelling at each other.
Brooklyn grabbed her book bag and filled it with clothes. She just couldn't take it anymore. She threw her bag on her back and climbed out the window.
"Keep your voice down!" Esteban hissed at his wife. "You'll wake Brooklyn."
"Oh, now you decide you want to be quiet! What about the last 20 minutes, Esteban?" Maddie shouted at him.
This was getting exhausting to the both of them. They argued for so long they almost always forget why they had started in the first place.
They went to bed angry and woke up crabby. It was a vicious cycle.
"Just zip it and go to bed, Maddie!"
"Don't tell me what to do!" she growled at him. Then she turned and marched into the bedroom slamming the door behind her.
Esteban sighed. He hated fighting with his wife. He loved her very much, but maybe it just wasn't working anymore. Esteban went to his daughter's room and knocked on the door. "Brooklyn?"
There was no answer. Maybe she was sleeping, but he opened the door anyway. "Brooklyn?" He whispered into the dark. Still no answer. Then he noticed the open window and began to panic. He flipped on the light. Brooklyn's bed was empty.
"Maddie!" he shouted and ran for their bedroom. "Maddie!" he yelled again pounding on the door.
"What!" she said flinging the door open.
"Brooklyn is missing!"
"What! Oh, my God! Call the police!" she shouted as she grabbed her car keys off the dresser. "I'll call her friends."
"Maddie, you should stay here." He said taking her keys from her. He knew she was too upset to drive safely and he didn't want anything to happen to her.
She looked up at her husband, their brown eyes meeting. "Oh, Esteban! What have we done?" She threw herself into his arms and began to cry.
"Maddie," he said softly, lifting her chin so that she was looking at him once again, "We will find her."
The determination in his voice comforted her and she began calling all of Brooklyn's friend's parents.
Esteban called the police and then took off in the car to look for his daughter. He was extremely worried. Brooklyn was only 13 years old and she was out in the dark streets all by herself. He didn't even know how long she'd been gone. What if someone had taken her? He forced the thought down. Not his Brooklyn.
Esteban remembered the day Brooklyn was born. He's been scared to death to become a father. But now he wouldn't change it for the world.
He drove along slowly, praying he'd see her. He wondered why she would run away. But in his heart he knew the answer. He and Maddie had been fighting a lot. Too much. And when they were being civil, they were discussing plans for him to move out.
Maddie sat on the bed frantically dialing every number she could think of. She wanted her little girl home. She wanted to be out there looking for her, but Esteban had said she should stay home in case Brooklyn came back. She hadn't been a very good mother lately. She and Brooklyn had been fighting a lot. She hadn't been a very good wife lately either.
Esteban tried so hard. He really was a good man. He cared about he and he cared about their daughter. She began to bargain with God. If he would bring her daughter home, she would be a better wife and mother.
It was well after midnight when Esteban came home. He'd driven all over town and there had been no sign of Brooklyn.
An Amber Alert had been issued and he and Maddie prayed it would help bring their daughter home.
"Did you find her?" Maddie asked jumping to her feet when she heard the door.
Esteban just shook his head as his eyes filled with tears. Maddie went to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He enveloped her in his arms and they cried together.
"Esteban, I just want our baby home."
"Me too, Maddie. Me too." He squeezed her tight. They both knew that neither of them would get any sleep.
Brooklyn was cold and tired. She decided she would just go home. With any luck her parents wouldn't have noticed she was gone.
Maddie leaned against her husband. He had his strong arms around her shoulders. She was so tired. Her eyes were heavy; it almost hurt to hold them open. But she refused to sleep until Brooklyn was safe in her bed. She felt Esteban kiss the top of her head.
"It's gonna be okay, baby. She'll come home. I know it."
His voice was comforting to her. She was beside herself with guilt. She was so distraught; she had no idea what to do. She was desperate for her daughter to come home. She wanted so badly for Brooklyn to walk through the door. She began bargaining with God again. If he brought Brooklyn home she make more of an effort to get along with her and Esteban. She loved them both more than anything. Everything they'd ever argued over seemed so trivial. The reason her marriage was falling apart was nothing more than a grain of sand compared to losing her daughter.
And then they saw the doorknob on the front door turn.
Maddie and Esteban both jumped, holding onto each other in anticipation. And then Brooklyn walked through the front door.
"Brooklyn!"
Both of her parents ran towards he and embraced her. They smothered her in kisses.
"Do you know how worried we were?" Esteban asked
"I'm sorry." She responded. "I didn't want to listen to you argue anymore!"
"We're sorry," Maddie said, "we know it's been hard on you. But that's now excuse to run away. We are going to have to punish you in the morning." She said squeezing her only daughter.
"I know."
"We were so scared."
They hugged her and kissed her some more and then put her to bed.
"I'm so glad she's home safe," Maddie said as they walked into the living room.
"Me too," Esteban said going to the bedroom to get his pillows and heading for the couch that had been his bed for months.
"Esteban…" He heard Maddie's voice.
He turned to see her still standing there and watching him.
She looked down at her feet. The events of the night had made her rethink things. She didn't want to lose Esteban. She loved him too much. "I don't want to be alone," she said reaching for his hand.
She led him into the bedroom and wrapped her arms around his waist againEsteban kissed her forehead. He still loved her so much. He couldn't believe they almost gave up everything they'd worked so hard for over something so small.
They were both ready to be a family again.
"I love you, Maddie," he whispered.
"I love you too."
Its so easy to get lost insideA problem that seems so big at the time.
It's like a river that's so wide
It swallows you whole.
While you're sittin' 'round thinkin' 'bout
What you can't change
And you're worryin' 'bout all the wrong things
Times flyin' by so fast
You better make it count
Cause you can't get it back
Sometimes that mountain you've been climbing
Is just a grain of sand
And what you've been out there
Searching for forever
Is in your hands
When you figure out
Love is all that matters, after all
It sure makes everything else seem
So small.
-Carrie Underwood
-Carrie Underwood