Cole Thornhart strolled out of Llanview Prison a free man. He walked down the street with the intention of finding his family. He saw a girl that must have been Hope, for as much as she looked like Starr. She was wearing a tank top and greasy jeans, and appeared from the hood of a car. He stared at her and she, like a deer in the headlights, looked back. His face lit up. She took a step back and cried, "Dad!" Not noticing it was more alarmed than excited, Cole smiled and took a step forward when the hood slammed shut. "Are you alright, kid?"
James.
Fucking.
Ford.
No.
She whispered something to James and he looked over at Cole. James whispered something back at Hope. Fire blazing in her eyes, similar to the way her mother's often did when she was angry, she said, "Dad, I want to go home."
"Okay," he titled his head a little, understanding. "You want to drive?"
Drive? She was only fourteen, and she was driving, and anyway why can someone who used to hotwire cars teach his daughter how to drive one?
"Absolutely."
"Hey," he said, abruptly, "Don't tell your mother."
"You got it." She smiled and took the keys from James.
He would follow them. If he did that, he could find Starr. If he found her, they could work things out and if they worked things out, then…
He knew she'd leave James for him in a second. They were soulmates.