Susan found the exit number and followed the directions that Joe's sister had given her. She found the neighborhood and finally the house. She sat outside for a long time and just looked up at the small two story set in the middle of a close neighborhood of houses exactly the same. It was only 8:30 in the morning. She'd been driving all night. She was a mess. Finally she worked up her nerve and got out of the car. She brushed her wrinkled slacks and straightened her light summer sweater as she made her way up the sidewalk. She rang the front doorbell and waited. The door was opened almost immediately by an older heavy set woman with long blonde hair.

"Susan?" she asked. Susan nodded and the woman opened the door further. "Come on in. I'm Cindy, Joe's sister." Susan stepped inside the modestly furnished livingroom. There were boxes packed and stacked and others ready to be filled.

"Well, I am glad you're here," Cindy said as she led Susan to the back of the house where the kitchen was. "Susie is at her summer school class. I told her she didn't have to go but she insisted. Something about a test she couldn't make up? She'll be home around noon. Can I get you some coffee? Some breakfast?"

"Oh no...thank you," Susan said as she stretched a bit. "I drove straight through so I am afraid I am coffee-ed out. Can I use the bathroom?"

"The big one is upstairs," Cindy said. "I can get you some towels if you'd like to take a shower or something."

"That would be so great," Susan sighed. Cindy nodded and headed back through the livingroom to the staircase. Susan stopped her.

"I'm so sorry about Joe," she said quietly. Cindy shrugged.

"We weren't close," she said. "He'd kind of cut himself off from everyone for a while. My mother helped him rent this house so that's why I'm here. She couldn't come herself."

"Ahh..." Susan nodded.

"The realtor wants us out by the weekend," she said as she headed up the stairs. Susan watched her go and then went to get her bag from the car.

She showered, changed, and then fell asleep on the couch in the den. All night driving had exhausted her. She slept for a couple of hours.

Later, Susan came awake slowly. She reached up and rubbed her nose a bit and yawned. Her eyes opened and she yelped in surprise. A young girl sat hunched over on a stool close to the couch, staring at her, with her elbows on her blue jeaned knees and her chin on her hands. She looked slight, wore black rimmed skinny glasses and had her wavy hair pulled up into a frowzy top knot. It was the hair that held Susan's interest. It was impossible to judge the natural color. It was a mass of neon pink, blue and purple streaks.

"Su...Susie?" Susan stammered. The girl blinked and stood up.

"You drool when you sleep," she said as she tugged at the minuscule straps of her sleeveless black top. She cast another disapproving glance at Susan and left the room.

"Oh...this is going to be...interesting," Susan said softly as she sat up and rubbed her face.

Interesting wasn't the word for it. Susie had proven to be a very resourceful, if incommunicative, girl. She knew where all Joe's important paperwork was, including her own birth certificate and custody papers. There was little in the house that they had actually owned. It had been rented fully furnished. Cindy would be taking the television and the few family mementos back to New Jersey. Susan made room for just four boxes of Susie's things in the back of her car.

They left Toledo late Thursday afternoon. Susie had insisted on attending one last session of her summer school class. Again, it was because of a test she couldn't make up. She'd packed her own things and Susan was surprised by how little she wanted to move with her. Her room was fairly spartan...a sharp contrast to Susan's bedroom at twelve.

It was a nice day to be traveling. The windows were down and the sun roof open. They played war with the radio dials for a while. Susan had never felt that she was a prude when it came to music but the lyrics in the rap music Susie preferred were a bit much. Susie finally just opened her laptop and put a headset on. So much for road trip bonding.

Susan had phoned a ahead so her dad was waiting for them to arrive. He eyed Susie warily all through dinner. She'd refused the steak,was picking at a salad and returning his glances furtively. Actually Susan had gotten used to the technicolor hair and black clothing. She had only observed four piercings and all of them were in Susie's ears. There was a tattoo on her lower back that had worried her for a bit but now it appeared to be a temporary one. Susan had a feeling that the persona Susie was trying toconvey wasmore foreign to herthan it was to Susan.

"You are going to have your hands full with that one," her dad chuckled softlyafter Susie had gone upstairs to bed.

"As full as yours were with both Chloe and I?" Susan laughed. Her dad sighed happily.

"You weren't so bad."

"Have you heard anything from her at all, Dad?" He shook his head.

"I hate having her out there not knowing what's happened."

"Is it as bad as us not knowing where the hell she is?" Susan shrugged. Her dad reached across the table and took her hand in his.

"Forget about Chloe," he said. 'Just forget her." Susan nodded and fingered the coffee cup in front of her.

"Can you entertain Susie for a while in the morning?" she asked. "I have a friend I need to see." Her dad nodded. Susan stood up and kissed him on the forehead.

"I think I am going to call Chuck and then turn in," she said and headed toward the livingroom.

"Susie," her dad said. Susan turned around.

"What the hell kind of breakfast does a...vegan...eat?" he asked. Susan laughed and rolled her eyes.