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Chapter 3
A feeling John couldn't explain covered himself. He felt a tightness within his lungs and he was finding it hard to breathe.
"But her wellies…." was all he could get out. He heard Anna make a whimper on the other end and he hated that he couldn't be there next to her. They should be going through this together.
"I know," she replied. "But they think….the DNA matched up with Emmy, John."
"Where has she been?"
"I don't know. With some woman. I've only just heard," Anna's voice was tight, frantic almost. He could almost see her face.
"You haven't seen her?"
"No," Anna breathed. "I…I'm heading to the hospital to meet with DCI Maxwell. He…I guess he'll tell me more when I get there."
John groaned. He was too far to get there right away. He'd need to get a plane ticket. But he wanted to be there now. He cursed himself for running away. Now, when his daughter and wife needed him the most, he was too far.
"I'm going to go to the airport. I'll get there as soon as possible," he promised into the phone.
"John?" The smallness of her voice broke him. "What if…." Her words faded, but he knew what she was thinking. He understood her many fears. Fears that had plagued them from the moment she disappeared. What would someone have wanted with their child? Had she been treated horribly? Had she been hurt? Loved? His stomach churned.
"I'll be there soon."
"I should go," Anna said into the phone. "I need to tell Mum and Dad. I have…I have to get ready. I don't even know if she'll remember me."
"She will," John murmured, though he didn't know that to be true. But he prayed it was. He prayed their daughter would remember them both.
The line went dead and John nearly collapsed against the side of the building. He pressed his hand up against the cement wall and took in a shaky breath. Alive. His daughter was alive. It felt almost like a dream, as though he would wake up to that blaring alarm clock, with tears on his face.
"Bates?" Robert's concerned voice broke in. John turned slightly, his eyesight blurry from the tears that had begun to fill his eyes. He brought his hand over his mouth and the softest sob escaped his lips. Robert eyed him with worry. But John dropped his hand from his lips. He didn't have time to be a mess. He needed to straighten up and make a plan.
"I have to get to the airport," John stated, staggering a few steps, before making himself steady on his feet. He cradled his cane in his hand to make himself upright and his face grew determined.
"The airport? But why…." Robert was understandably confused.
"She's alive, Robert. My Emmy…" John could feel the emotions blooming within his chest. Robert's face went through a myriad of emotions.
"But how…?"
"I don't know," came John's honest answer. "But they've found her. Anna…she just called me. I have to get to Yorkshire."
"Oh my god," Robert murmured, the reality hitting him like a ton of bricks. "Yes, I'll get the car and we can head there right away!"
-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
Elsie Hughes Carson and her husband, Charlie, had become parents later in life. They married in their early 40s. Children had been a severe want, but with their advanced ages it had seemed nearly impossible. They tried for children, but it seemed as though it was never going to happen. Not until, one day, when they met a young girl named Marie Smith. She and her young husband, Kevin, had a new baby girl, Anna. They were young and in love, but had very little.
Elsie and Charlie helped them out, bringing them formula and diapers for the baby. They would watch her when Marie would search for a job. Then one fateful day, Kevin was killed in an explosion at work. Marie was devastated. They invited her to move in with them. She was a quiet thing and would leave Anna with them for long stretches of time, until eventually, she never came back.
They searched for Marie, hoping to find Anna's mother. It seemed she had disappeared. But right before they gave up hope they finally found her, married to another man and pregnant once more. The man was unsavory. In the few minutes they spoke with him, he cursed and smelled of alcohol. They tried to convince her to leave him and move back in with them and Anna, but she refused. In the end, though, she did sign over her rights of Anna to them. She said her new husband wouldn't want another man's baby around and that they had cared for her.
They loved Anna, who was nearing two by this time, and had been more than thrilled to be able to claim her as their own. But they had been sad and disappointed that Marie would give away her daughter to go after another man and that she had found a man more important than Anna.
However, they had Anna and she was their world. She grew up as a happy and healthy child. The drama of her earlier life didn't seem to affect her. She clung to her parents, always seeking out their approval. Charlie spoiled her rotten. Anna had him right around her little finger. Elsie had to be the disciplinarian, but even she was known to give into Anna's whims.
She had been a well behaved child, sweet spirited. Top marks in school and university. Their shining star.
When she brought home John Bates for the first time, Charlie had been unhappy that he was older than Anna. But eventually, he came around. Once they were married and Emmy was born, all of his original disapproval was a mere memory.
Emmy became their new child to spoil. They had loved her more than life itself. At one point they thought they would never have a child, but then they did and they became grandparents. It had impacted them in ways they could have never imagined.
But Emmy's disappearance had brought a dark cloud over them all. It tore them into shreds and they dropped all of their retirement of living at the beach to be with their child, who had been falling apart.
The sound of Anna's clumsy steps on the stairs made Butler's ears perk up between Elsie's fingers. The dog glanced up and Elsie followed his gaze, surprised to find Anna nearly tumbling down the stairs. Her face was flushed and her eyes wide.
Elsie gently placed Butler down on the couch and stood, carefully walking toward her daughter.
"Anna? What's happened?"
"Em…Emmy," she barely got out. Anna's face was pale, as white as a ghost. Her hands were shaking harshly.
Elsie stepped forward and took her daughter's hands within her own, trying to calm them. She met her daughter's wild eyes with hers, trying to decipher what she was trying to tell her. Through the last several years, Elsie had helped her daughter though many breakdowns. Her child had gone through bouts of paranoia and bouts of depression. But there was something different in the way her daughter was acting now, something she hadn't dealt with before.
"Emmy…" Anna stammered again. "She…she's alive."
Elsie's jaw slackened. "Wh…what?"
"DCI Maxwell called. They…they've found her, Mum. They found Emmy!"
"Charlie!" Elsie desperately called, turning her head toward the back door. But she kept her hands firm around her daughter's. Now she wasn't sure if it was to keep Anna or herself steady. "Charlie!"
Charles Carson entered the living room in a rush. His pants covered in earth and his eyes frenzied.
"What? What's wrong?"
"It's Emmy," Elsie answered, her breath hitching within her throat. "She's alive, Charlie. Our granddaughter is alive."
-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
Five Years Ago
Anna unbuckled Emmy from her car seat. Then she had her stand on the floorboard of the van so that she could place a heavy coat over her shoulders. Even though it was a sunny day, Emmy had insisted she wear her rainbow wellies on their journey to the pumpkin patch. Anna had tried to convince her to change her shoes to match her beautiful dress with the pumpkins. She had chosen Emmy's outfit just for this day, but Emmy was a stubborn little thing. In the end, it wasn't worth the battle over a pair of shoes. And Emmy was thrilled to have the colorful wellies on her feet.
Lifting Emmy up and into her arms, she turned to see that John had their tickets in his hands. He had gone to purchase them while Anna bundled Emmy up for their fun day at the pumpkin patch.
"Are we ready?"
"Yes," Anna smiled up at him. "Emmy is very excited."
"Punkins!" She clapped her hands enthusiastically.
-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
Now
Anna's hands clasped together in front of her and her knees bounced uncontrollably. She was struggling to remain calm and was thankful her father was driving the car. She would have likely driven it off the road in her anxiousness.
Her hands untangled and she brought her thumb to her lip, chewing on the side of her nail. What would she look like now? She wondered. Her daughter was now eight years old. She would no longer be the little girl she could carry in her arms, who would cuddle up against her chest, and who would suck on her little thumb.
"The bed!" Anna gasped, rapid thoughts flowing through her mind.
"What was that?" Elsie calmly asked from the backseat.
"Her bed," Anna cried, new tears falling from her eyes. "It's much too small and I don't have any clothes that would fit her. What…."
"Shh, now," her father's steady voice interrupted her, ever the voice of reason. "We'll get all of that settled. Your mum and I can run to the store and pick up whatever you will need. You only focus on Emmy, love. That's all you need to worry about."
But that was all she was worried about. She was worried that her daughter wouldn't like her. That she wouldn't be happy with her bedroom. That she wouldn't be happy with them.
Her father pulled up to the front of the hospital in order to let Anna and Elsie out before going to search for a parking spot. Anna's eyes loomed over the large building and she swallowed hard.
There, in front of the building, stood DCI Maxwell.
"Anna, are you ready?"
"I…" She took in a deep breath, forcing her voice to grow stronger. "I am."
To be continued...
Thank you so much for reading. I can promise two things that will be in the next chapter: One we will see Emmy and two, Anna and John will see eachother for the first time in 4 years. ;) More soon!
