CHAPTER TWO - DAVID'S POV
A trip to the grocery store with a three-year old is hard. Imagine having two, and them being girls who are good at the puppy dog eyes. They must have gotten the trait from their mother, because I stink at the puppy dog eyes. I can't take my eyes off of the girls for a moment. One moment they're being well-behaved. The next, they're trying to climb out of the cart.
Somehow I managed to pick up what we needed and made it to the check out without losing my remaining bit of sanity. The girls behaved fairly well. Especially after I promised to buy them a box of "Cookie Trolls" if they behaved.
Several people behind me in line comment about how adorable the girls are. Questions such as: "How old are they?", "What are their names?", and "Are they identical?" are asked. I only answer the question about them being identical or not, the rest is a little personal. There's this one woman behind me who keeps talking to the girls.
I pull the cart closer to me as I pay. I'm slightly uncomfortable with this. I think. After I'm done paying and have the items loaded into the cart, I'm quickly out the door. Why do strangers immediately assume it's okay to talk to someone else's kids?
I buckle the girls into their car-seats and load the car.
"Daddy, can I have a cookie?" Taylor asks.
"Me too! Me too!" Lyndon says.
The time is only one o'clock in the afternoon. I highly doubt one cookie would hurt. Besides they're being well-behaved. I tell myself. I open the box and take two cookies out. I give one to each girl and they're faces light up at the sight of them.
They say thank you before devouring the cookie. I'm not even pulled out of the parking lot before they're finished and asking for more. "Maybe later." I say.
My writing is struggling at the moment. Every time an idea comes to me, I lose it before I can get it written down. Taylor is taking her afternoon nap and Lyndon is playing in the play room. I can see Lyndon in the playroom from the door to my office.
She is playing with her doll house and seems very happy. I was hoping Elizabeth's parents would be able to take them for the afternoon so I could focus on work; but they had already made plans. I didn't tell them the true reason I wanted them to watch the girls. I said that Lyndon was wanting to see her "Pop Pop" and "Gammy".
Elizabeth doesn't know that my work's been struggling. To her knowledge, everything is going great and I'm perfectly balancing being a good father, a good husband and bring in some money.
I stare at the word document and beg my brain to think of something. Blank. I let out a loud sigh. I close my laptop and glance over at the playroom. Lyndon is still playing quietly. She's being really good right now. Perhaps some quality daddy-daughter time would be good for the both of us. I think to myself as I get up from my desk.
"Can Daddy play with you?" I ask opening the baby gate.
Lyndon nods and hands me a doll. I do the "funny voices" that Lyndon loves so much. She always gets this huge smile on her face whenever Elizabeth or I do one. The two of us do our best to keep from waking up Taylor from her nap; but we can't avoid the occasional laughter.
I look out the window. It's sunny. Taylor usually naps for an hour and she went down about twenty minutes ago. "Lyndon, do you want to play ball outside?" I ask.
"Yes Daddy." she says with a smile.
I quickly put on her outdoor shoes and check on Taylor before we go outside. I have the baby monitor right next to the open window. I should be able to hear Taylor if she wakes up. I kneel down to Lyndon's height and gently throw the ball.
The ball bounces right off of her arms. She giggles and runs after it. She "throws" it back to me. It ends up rolling into my hands. She defiantly looks more like me than Elizabeth, in the best way possible. She doesn't have any boyish features. She has my brown hair, my brown eyes and my lip shape. Taylor took after Elizabeth and Lyndon took after me.
I'm about to throw the ball to Lyndon once more when writing brillance hits me. I have to write this down! I think to myself. There's a notpad on my desk in the study, which isn't too far. The study is on the first floor, I'll be gone for thirty seconds at the most. I can't let this slip me by. I think to myself. I throw the ball for Lyndon.
Lyndon is running after the ball and having a great time. I'd hate to have to end her fun to drag her inside only to bring her outside a minute later. I've done this plenty of times. The girls know not to leave the front lawn and not to talk to strangers.
"Daddy will be right back. Stay here." I say before running inside.
I'm quick, I hurry to my office. The notpad is actually in a desk drawer; which causes me to look for it. Not even a minute, later I have notpad and pen in hand. I quickly scribble the writing idea on the notpad before going back outside. "Daddy's back." I say as I walk out the front door.
I turn around and see the ball sitting alone in the yard. I don't see Lyndon. My eyes scan the yard. "Lyndon!" I call.
I expect to see her running from behind the house or out of the bushes. I'll scold her for not staying visible, but we'll go back to playing shortly after.
That's not what happens. She doesn't pop out of anywhere. "Lyndon!" I call louder. I don't let the feeling of panic take over my voice. I have to remain calm to avoid scaring Taylor. Lyndon is probably playing hide-in-seek. She loves that game.
"Come out where ever you are!" I yell.
There's still nothing. No, this isn't possible. I think as I frantically look around the yard. The ball is still there. She wouldn't leave the ball. She knew I was coming back. She's never run off like this before.
This time, I scream Lyndon's name. I let the panic and fear show. No, not my little girl.
A couple of people who live next-door to us come outside. They're about to ask what's wrong, but they're quick to figure it out.
She can't be gone. She has to simply be hiding somewhere I haven't looked.
How could have happened? She knows not to run off, she knows never to go with a stranger. I didn't hear anything when I was in the office. I would have heard her screaming for help if someone... took her, wouldn't I?
Taylor won't understand what's happened. She'll ask where Lyndon is. What will Elizabeth and I tell her? Elizabeth! How will I- How can I possibly find the right words to say?