Chris walked wearily down the street, his hands stuffed into his pockets.
He had been searching for Stephanie and Carter for the past four days, and
still hadn't found them. Every day he would look for them, and every night
he would go home without them.
He sighed to himself. It was scary thinking that his wife and child were out there and he had no idea where. He just hoped they were ok, if anything happened to either of them, he didn't know what he'd do. He couldn't live without them, it was already so difficult.
He walked into another hotel, that's all he had been doing, going in and out of hotels. He'd go in, take out a picture of his family, and ask anyone, everyone there if they had seen her. He'd been to at least 15 different hotels, and no one had seen them. It scared him to think that they had left the state or even the country.
He walked up to the registration desk, "Hi."
"Hello sir, would you like to check in?" the woman asked.
"Actually no, I was wondering if a Stephanie Irvine was registered here."
"I'm sorry sir, but that's classified information."
"I'm her husband," he said.
"I'm still not sure that we could give out that information, I'll have to ask my boss."
"Ok, fine," Chris said, leaning his chin on his hand.
The woman went into a little office behind her, and closed the door. Chris looked around, wondering if Stephanie was here. He hoped she was, this searching was getting tiring for him. The woman came out and walked back over to him.
"Do you have some sort of identification?" she asked.
"Yes, I do," he said, taking out his wallet and showing her his driver's license.
"Thank you," she said, then looked up on her computer, "I'm sorry sir, but there's no Stephanie Irvine checked in here."
"Can you try Stephanie McMahon?"
She checked again, "I'm sorry, there's no Stephanie McMahon either."
"Were you here six days ago, in the evening?" he asked.
"No, but my boss was."
"Can I speak to them please?"
"Hold on a moment," the woman said, before going into the room again.
An older woman came out and walked over to him, "Can I help you?"
"Yes, I'm looking for these two people," he said, holding up the picture to her.
"I'm sorry sir, I haven't seen her or the child."
Chris closed his eyes and sighed, "Thank you."
He turned and walked dejectedly out of the hotel. That was the fifth one he'd searched at today. He decided to call it a day and head home. He walked out to his car, and got inside. He started driving home, still wondering where his wife was.
He dreaded going home to Jessica and her always annoying personality. She had given him nothing but grief since she had returned and he could barely take it anymore. He was so close to just throwing her out on her ass.
He got back home and parked his car. He got out and walked slowly up the steps, not looking forward to going inside. He unlocked the front door and walked into the living room. He saw Adriana sitting on the couch by herself watching television. He wondered where Jessica was until he heard the shower running. She just left the little girl here by herself, what kind of mother was she?
Chris sat down on the couch and looked at the little girl. It was the first time he had really taken a look at her. He tried to see if any of his features matched hers, but he didn't see any. She happily sucked on her bottle watching television.
"Hi," he said to her.
She looked at him curiously.
"I'm Chris," he said.
She smiled a little around the bottle that was still in her mouth.
"Um, I'm sorry I haven't really talked to you."
Chris realized how sad it was that he was so lonely he was talking to a toddler. But at this point he didn't have anyone else to turn to.
"My wife left me," Chris said to her, "It's not your fault though, it's your mommy's fault. I miss Stephanie so much, and I miss Carter. I don't know what I'm going to do without them."
Adriana looked down.
"They're my family and I need them. They're...I don't know, I love them so much, and I just want them to come back home."
"So, you finally decided to get to know your little girl."
"No Jessica, I needed to talk to someone, and well, she's the best thing to a nice conversation I can get."
"Oh, you're so funny Christopher," Jessica said, pretending to laugh.
"You bring out the best in me Jessica," he said sarcastically.
"Good to know," she said, her lip curling in anger, "So why were you talking to Adri?"
"Because I needed someone to talk to."
"Oh, couldn't find your little wifey?"
"Not that it's any of your business, but no I couldn't find her."
"It's just as well Christopher, she's just bound to break your heart."
"Would you please stop acting like you know her. You don't know her ok, you'll never know her."
"Good thing too."
"Adriana, how do you put up with her?" Chris said, looking at the child.
The little girl just giggled.
"Oh, I see, you just have to keep laughing right. I should've taken that advice years ago when I was stuck with her," Chris said, smirking up at Jessica.
Jessica went and picked up Adriana, "Let's go Adri."
"You know, word to the wise Jessica, you shouldn't leave a toddler alone while you go off and take a shower."
"Shut up," she said, walking upstairs.
Chris turned the television off and went into the kitchen to grab something to eat. He had barely been eating, and he was starting to feel weak. But he found it hard to eat when he knew that he could be looking for Stephanie and Carter. He knew that they were ok, physically, Stephanie was a smart woman, but emotionally, he was worried about her. She hadn't taken Hunter's death well, and he worried to what her reaction now would be. He could only hope that she was doing ok.
After grabbing a quick bite, he decided to turn in for the evening. If he went to bed now than he could get an early start tomorrow. He knew there were more hotels that he could search. He went up to his room and got ready for bed.
He climbed in bed, and looked up at the ceiling. Normally, though he didn't even think he knew what normal was anymore, Stephanie would be lying next to him, cuddling, talking about something, while he would smile and listen to her talk. Then she would start to doze off and he would play with her hair until sleep claimed him as well. But now he was all alone, and he hated that feeling.
The next morning, Chris got out of bed quickly and changed for the day. His time to protest the divorce was winding down quickly, and he needed to find Stephanie so that he could get her to come home, to come back to him. He went downstairs and grabbed an apple for breakfast.
He went out to the stables to check on the horses, he did that every morning. He couldn't neglect them, even if he was depressed and in a funk. He fed them, and groomed them before going to his car and beginning the day's search.
He drove into Albuquerque and started driving to another hotel that he hadn't hit yet. Every day that passed he worried that he would run out of hotels, and he didn't know what he'd do then. He had talked to Stephanie's parents and to Shane, but they hadn't heard from her, and that worried him even more. If she didn't talk to her parents then she truly was all alone out there.
He pulled up to a nice hotel, and parked his car. He got out and walked into the hotel and up to the registration desk. He waited a moment to be helped, and a man walked over to where he was standing.
"May I help you sir?"
"Yes, I was wondering if I could find out if someone had checked in here?"
"We can't give that information out," the man said.
"I'm the woman's husband," Chris explained.
"Do you have any form of identification?"
"Yes, of course," Chris said, taking out his identification.
"Ok, who were you looking for?"
"Stephanie Irvine."
"Hold on, let me check."
"Ok."
Chris waited for him to check the computer to see if Stephanie was there. He turned around casually as he waited and to his surprise he saw Stephanie and Carter sitting in the lobby. He had to do a double take to make sure that it was them, it all seemed too easy. But there they were, Stephanie bouncing Carter on his legs as she smiled at him.
Chris turned back to the man, "It's ok, I found them."
"Ok sir."
Chris walked over to them, but they didn't seem to notice him. He walked up behind Stephanie, and she couldn't have seen him if she tried. Carter looked up and spotted him and his face lit up. Chris smiled at the little boy. Carter held his arms out like he wanted to be picked up.
"What is it baby boy? You want Mommy to hold you?" Stephanie asked.
Carter babbled and kept looking at Chris. Chris made a funny face at the little boy, causing him to have a fit of giggles. Stephanie laughed, and kissed his nose, much to his delight.
"What's so funny baby?"
Carter pointed behind him. Stephanie looked at him confused for a second before turning around. She gasped as she saw Chris standing there. She got up quickly and started to walk away. Chris ran up to her and grabbed her arm gently.
"Stephanie," he said.
"Go away Chris."
"No, I'm here to talk, and we're gonna talk."
He sighed to himself. It was scary thinking that his wife and child were out there and he had no idea where. He just hoped they were ok, if anything happened to either of them, he didn't know what he'd do. He couldn't live without them, it was already so difficult.
He walked into another hotel, that's all he had been doing, going in and out of hotels. He'd go in, take out a picture of his family, and ask anyone, everyone there if they had seen her. He'd been to at least 15 different hotels, and no one had seen them. It scared him to think that they had left the state or even the country.
He walked up to the registration desk, "Hi."
"Hello sir, would you like to check in?" the woman asked.
"Actually no, I was wondering if a Stephanie Irvine was registered here."
"I'm sorry sir, but that's classified information."
"I'm her husband," he said.
"I'm still not sure that we could give out that information, I'll have to ask my boss."
"Ok, fine," Chris said, leaning his chin on his hand.
The woman went into a little office behind her, and closed the door. Chris looked around, wondering if Stephanie was here. He hoped she was, this searching was getting tiring for him. The woman came out and walked back over to him.
"Do you have some sort of identification?" she asked.
"Yes, I do," he said, taking out his wallet and showing her his driver's license.
"Thank you," she said, then looked up on her computer, "I'm sorry sir, but there's no Stephanie Irvine checked in here."
"Can you try Stephanie McMahon?"
She checked again, "I'm sorry, there's no Stephanie McMahon either."
"Were you here six days ago, in the evening?" he asked.
"No, but my boss was."
"Can I speak to them please?"
"Hold on a moment," the woman said, before going into the room again.
An older woman came out and walked over to him, "Can I help you?"
"Yes, I'm looking for these two people," he said, holding up the picture to her.
"I'm sorry sir, I haven't seen her or the child."
Chris closed his eyes and sighed, "Thank you."
He turned and walked dejectedly out of the hotel. That was the fifth one he'd searched at today. He decided to call it a day and head home. He walked out to his car, and got inside. He started driving home, still wondering where his wife was.
He dreaded going home to Jessica and her always annoying personality. She had given him nothing but grief since she had returned and he could barely take it anymore. He was so close to just throwing her out on her ass.
He got back home and parked his car. He got out and walked slowly up the steps, not looking forward to going inside. He unlocked the front door and walked into the living room. He saw Adriana sitting on the couch by herself watching television. He wondered where Jessica was until he heard the shower running. She just left the little girl here by herself, what kind of mother was she?
Chris sat down on the couch and looked at the little girl. It was the first time he had really taken a look at her. He tried to see if any of his features matched hers, but he didn't see any. She happily sucked on her bottle watching television.
"Hi," he said to her.
She looked at him curiously.
"I'm Chris," he said.
She smiled a little around the bottle that was still in her mouth.
"Um, I'm sorry I haven't really talked to you."
Chris realized how sad it was that he was so lonely he was talking to a toddler. But at this point he didn't have anyone else to turn to.
"My wife left me," Chris said to her, "It's not your fault though, it's your mommy's fault. I miss Stephanie so much, and I miss Carter. I don't know what I'm going to do without them."
Adriana looked down.
"They're my family and I need them. They're...I don't know, I love them so much, and I just want them to come back home."
"So, you finally decided to get to know your little girl."
"No Jessica, I needed to talk to someone, and well, she's the best thing to a nice conversation I can get."
"Oh, you're so funny Christopher," Jessica said, pretending to laugh.
"You bring out the best in me Jessica," he said sarcastically.
"Good to know," she said, her lip curling in anger, "So why were you talking to Adri?"
"Because I needed someone to talk to."
"Oh, couldn't find your little wifey?"
"Not that it's any of your business, but no I couldn't find her."
"It's just as well Christopher, she's just bound to break your heart."
"Would you please stop acting like you know her. You don't know her ok, you'll never know her."
"Good thing too."
"Adriana, how do you put up with her?" Chris said, looking at the child.
The little girl just giggled.
"Oh, I see, you just have to keep laughing right. I should've taken that advice years ago when I was stuck with her," Chris said, smirking up at Jessica.
Jessica went and picked up Adriana, "Let's go Adri."
"You know, word to the wise Jessica, you shouldn't leave a toddler alone while you go off and take a shower."
"Shut up," she said, walking upstairs.
Chris turned the television off and went into the kitchen to grab something to eat. He had barely been eating, and he was starting to feel weak. But he found it hard to eat when he knew that he could be looking for Stephanie and Carter. He knew that they were ok, physically, Stephanie was a smart woman, but emotionally, he was worried about her. She hadn't taken Hunter's death well, and he worried to what her reaction now would be. He could only hope that she was doing ok.
After grabbing a quick bite, he decided to turn in for the evening. If he went to bed now than he could get an early start tomorrow. He knew there were more hotels that he could search. He went up to his room and got ready for bed.
He climbed in bed, and looked up at the ceiling. Normally, though he didn't even think he knew what normal was anymore, Stephanie would be lying next to him, cuddling, talking about something, while he would smile and listen to her talk. Then she would start to doze off and he would play with her hair until sleep claimed him as well. But now he was all alone, and he hated that feeling.
The next morning, Chris got out of bed quickly and changed for the day. His time to protest the divorce was winding down quickly, and he needed to find Stephanie so that he could get her to come home, to come back to him. He went downstairs and grabbed an apple for breakfast.
He went out to the stables to check on the horses, he did that every morning. He couldn't neglect them, even if he was depressed and in a funk. He fed them, and groomed them before going to his car and beginning the day's search.
He drove into Albuquerque and started driving to another hotel that he hadn't hit yet. Every day that passed he worried that he would run out of hotels, and he didn't know what he'd do then. He had talked to Stephanie's parents and to Shane, but they hadn't heard from her, and that worried him even more. If she didn't talk to her parents then she truly was all alone out there.
He pulled up to a nice hotel, and parked his car. He got out and walked into the hotel and up to the registration desk. He waited a moment to be helped, and a man walked over to where he was standing.
"May I help you sir?"
"Yes, I was wondering if I could find out if someone had checked in here?"
"We can't give that information out," the man said.
"I'm the woman's husband," Chris explained.
"Do you have any form of identification?"
"Yes, of course," Chris said, taking out his identification.
"Ok, who were you looking for?"
"Stephanie Irvine."
"Hold on, let me check."
"Ok."
Chris waited for him to check the computer to see if Stephanie was there. He turned around casually as he waited and to his surprise he saw Stephanie and Carter sitting in the lobby. He had to do a double take to make sure that it was them, it all seemed too easy. But there they were, Stephanie bouncing Carter on his legs as she smiled at him.
Chris turned back to the man, "It's ok, I found them."
"Ok sir."
Chris walked over to them, but they didn't seem to notice him. He walked up behind Stephanie, and she couldn't have seen him if she tried. Carter looked up and spotted him and his face lit up. Chris smiled at the little boy. Carter held his arms out like he wanted to be picked up.
"What is it baby boy? You want Mommy to hold you?" Stephanie asked.
Carter babbled and kept looking at Chris. Chris made a funny face at the little boy, causing him to have a fit of giggles. Stephanie laughed, and kissed his nose, much to his delight.
"What's so funny baby?"
Carter pointed behind him. Stephanie looked at him confused for a second before turning around. She gasped as she saw Chris standing there. She got up quickly and started to walk away. Chris ran up to her and grabbed her arm gently.
"Stephanie," he said.
"Go away Chris."
"No, I'm here to talk, and we're gonna talk."
