"I'm sorry, this number has been disconnected." Amy slammed the receiver down in frustration. How was she supposed to talk to her parents if she didn't have a way to reach them? Finally, in desperation, she called the police station in the area they were staying and asked them to find her grandmother.
A knock came at the door. Slowly, George White opened it, then narrowed his eyes. "Yes?"
Andrew, dressed as a police officer, looked up from his clipboard. "Mr. and Mrs. White?"
"Yes, that's us." Tina came up behind her husband. "Is something wrong?"
"I'm not sure. You have a daughter named Amy?"
"Oh my God, what happened?" Tina asked, putting a hand to her mouth. "Is she ok? Is it Christopher?"
"I don't know, ma'am." He said. "Amy called the station in a panic about an hour ago, saying the number you left her was disconnected and that she needed to talk to you. We assumed it was an emergency."
"Yes, we had to leave the hotel we were staying at to come here to my mom's. They were closing down the whole place." George said, looking at his wife. "We haven't even called her this whole time. God, I feel terrible."
"We have our hands full here, dear." Tina said, comforting him. "I'm sure she understands."
"Well, I'd call her." Andrew said. "Good day."
A few hours later, the wake had begun, and the house was filled with mourners. Tess, Monica, and Andrew stood by the stairs.
"I feel so guilty about this," said Andrew. "Should we have left Amy alone for so long?"
"I'm sure she's fine, baby." Tess said. "She told me to take a day off, that she'd watch Christopher. And besides, we're needed here."
"How will being at her grandfather's wake help?" Asked Monica.
"There are some things that need uncovering." Tess said cryptically. "Things that'll help you understand her better. You'll find out soon enough. Amy needs to learn how to deal with grief. About her knee, about basketball, about everything. And I don't think her parents are going to be available to her anytime soon."
"What?" Andrew stared in disbelief. "They won't go back when they find out?"
"They're not going to find out." Tess said. "If I know Amy, she's going to think they're needed out here and not tell them until they're back."
"She thinks she's Superwoman." Andrew sighed. George and Tina came by, and he started to shrink back so they wouldn't recognize him. It would be a long night.
"I miss my granddaughter." The old Mrs. White spoke to Monica at length. "She was always such a ray of sunshine in our lives. We used to play cards, just the three of us." Monica smiled and nodded. "Every time she came over, we'd play rummy and she'd sing while we played. Every song she knew, and she knew a lot. Especially Christmas songs. At least Greg got to see her one last Christmas. I wonder why she didn't come with her parents. I don't think they knew about the letters."
"The letters?" Monica asked. Andrew hadn't told her about that.
"Oh, yes. Amy and Greg were very close. They wrote each other constantly since we moved."
A knock came at the door. Slowly, George White opened it, then narrowed his eyes. "Yes?"
Andrew, dressed as a police officer, looked up from his clipboard. "Mr. and Mrs. White?"
"Yes, that's us." Tina came up behind her husband. "Is something wrong?"
"I'm not sure. You have a daughter named Amy?"
"Oh my God, what happened?" Tina asked, putting a hand to her mouth. "Is she ok? Is it Christopher?"
"I don't know, ma'am." He said. "Amy called the station in a panic about an hour ago, saying the number you left her was disconnected and that she needed to talk to you. We assumed it was an emergency."
"Yes, we had to leave the hotel we were staying at to come here to my mom's. They were closing down the whole place." George said, looking at his wife. "We haven't even called her this whole time. God, I feel terrible."
"We have our hands full here, dear." Tina said, comforting him. "I'm sure she understands."
"Well, I'd call her." Andrew said. "Good day."
A few hours later, the wake had begun, and the house was filled with mourners. Tess, Monica, and Andrew stood by the stairs.
"I feel so guilty about this," said Andrew. "Should we have left Amy alone for so long?"
"I'm sure she's fine, baby." Tess said. "She told me to take a day off, that she'd watch Christopher. And besides, we're needed here."
"How will being at her grandfather's wake help?" Asked Monica.
"There are some things that need uncovering." Tess said cryptically. "Things that'll help you understand her better. You'll find out soon enough. Amy needs to learn how to deal with grief. About her knee, about basketball, about everything. And I don't think her parents are going to be available to her anytime soon."
"What?" Andrew stared in disbelief. "They won't go back when they find out?"
"They're not going to find out." Tess said. "If I know Amy, she's going to think they're needed out here and not tell them until they're back."
"She thinks she's Superwoman." Andrew sighed. George and Tina came by, and he started to shrink back so they wouldn't recognize him. It would be a long night.
"I miss my granddaughter." The old Mrs. White spoke to Monica at length. "She was always such a ray of sunshine in our lives. We used to play cards, just the three of us." Monica smiled and nodded. "Every time she came over, we'd play rummy and she'd sing while we played. Every song she knew, and she knew a lot. Especially Christmas songs. At least Greg got to see her one last Christmas. I wonder why she didn't come with her parents. I don't think they knew about the letters."
"The letters?" Monica asked. Andrew hadn't told her about that.
"Oh, yes. Amy and Greg were very close. They wrote each other constantly since we moved."