I have nothing to say. so I'll just let you read this now...

Chapter 9

"You okay?" Ryan pulled his wife close to him as she looked around the backyard at Seth and Summer's house. "You look upset."

"I'm okay." She nodded automatically then rethought her answer. "I'm not okay actually." She turned around in his arms to look at his eyes.

"Why not?" He asked confused.

"I don't know, it's just they are supposed to be here. Kirsten had been waiting on Delaney's third birthday. She had already bought her a gift. She's their first grandchild…"

"We can't help what happened." Ryan told her.

"I know that…God, I feel like a child…but I just…I wish they didn't have to leave. What had they done wrong exactly that they had to go?" Ryan could already tell she was about to cry again. He hated seeing her crying but he knew where she was coming from. He had actually been feeling the same way, even if he hadn't shown it.

"I don't know, Taylor. I really don't know…" He ran his hand through her hair. She didn't even care that he had messed it up, all she wanted was to be close to her husband right then. She didn't even care that there was a backyard full of people behind them or the fact that their son was sleeping in his carrier. "Where's Sophie." Ryan broke apart from the embrace startling his wife.

"The last time I saw her she was playing with Delaney." Taylor turned around to look for her. She scanned the backyard not spotting the blond haired seven year old. "Maybe she's in the house." She turned back towards Ryan before pulling away from him and walking into the house. "Sophie!" Taylor yelled through the empty house. Everyone else was in the back.

"She in here?" Ryan asked from behind her. Taylor shook her head before heading towards the stairs to check up there.

"Sophie!" She yelled again opening every door and checking each room twice over.

Taylor started to panic. It wasn't like Sophie to just hide or not show up when called. "Ryan!" Taylor ran down the stairs in a hurry to see her husband walking towards the front door. "She's not up there."

"I'll check out front. You keep checking around here."

-

Even though Ryan was panicked, he had a feeling he knew where his little sister was. The house sat barely five houses from Seth and Summer's. It was where she had grown up, where she born. Ryan let out a breath when he saw the blond hair sitting on the front porch with her knees up to her chest. He gave a weak smile before walking over silently and sitting down next to her. The house had yet to be sold so they weren't disturbing anyone.

"I wish I still lived here." Sophie whispered not looking up at Ryan who pulled her close to him with his arm wrapped around her little shoulders. "I'm sorry, Ryan…"

"I was scared when I didn't see you…just don't walk off like that without telling someone, okay?" He told her.

"Okay." She nodded slightly before resting her body into her brother's fully.

Ryan wanted to say something to his little sister that meant something. Something that he could reassure her of all of this but he couldn't think of anything. His mind just didn't seem to want to work correctly, all he could do was sit there silently with Sophie and hold her close. It was actually all either of them needed at that moment.

That was enough to reassure the both of them that they weren't alone in this.

-

"Where was she?" Taylor quickly asked her husband on the phone. He had just called her ten minutes after leaving the house to look for Sophie.

"The Cohen's old place." He whispered. Taylor's heart quickly broke. She sat plopped down on the couch in Seth and Summer's living room in defeat. She felt like she had let the little girl down by not knowing where she could have been. She should have known, since Seth and Summer's house was so close to where she used to live. "We're going to take a walk then get back over there."

"Oh, okay. See you soon. Love you." Taylor said before hanging up the phone. She glanced over at her son that was sleeping soundly in his carrier. She got up and walked over to him. She sat down cross legged in front of him. "I'll never let you down." She whispered to the sleeping child. Taylor reached for the baby and pulled him out of the uncomfortable sleeping arrangement. He stayed asleep in his mother's arms as she sat there in the middle of the living room while everyone else enjoyed the three year olds birthday party.

-

"I know I don't talk much, Sophie…" Ryan took her small hand in his helping her up from the steps. She gave him a weak smile before they started walking away from the house. "Promise me you'll talk to me if you have to, okay? I know you can talk to Dr. Harris but you can talk to me too."

"I know. You're a great big brother, Ry." She smiled up at him.

"You're a great little sister, Soph."

"I want to get back to the party. Mommy and Daddy would have wanted me to have fun."

"You're right. Plus I'm pretty sure Taylor's freaking out about you missing."

"But you called her…"

"Doesn't matter. She's still worried." He told her.

"I'm sorry for leaving without telling you guys. I just wanted to see the house again…"

"I know." He gave her a weak smile. He had wanted to see the house too, although he would never exactly admit that out loud. It was part of having to be strong for his family.