She listened as the police spoke, talking about everything they'd put forth to help find A.J. Ben sat by her side, rubbing his hand on her back in circles, trying to help her concentrate long enough to answer the officer's questions. The task seemed extraordinarily difficult at the moment. All she wanted was to hold A.J in her arms and tell her daughter how much she loved her. That wasn't possible though. Instead she was here, listening to police officers tell her that they were doing everything possible to find her three-year-old daughter who may have been kidnapped.
"Ms. Juergens, you mentioned something about A.J's father being at the scene? Is he a part of A.J's everyday life?" asked one of the officers and Amy shook her head, refusing to look anybody in the eye.
"No, he was only there to talk with me about custody issues. He hasn't ever been involved with A.J," whispered Amy, her mind wandering to Ricky.
He had taken off shortly after realizing A.J was gone. He claimed he was going to search the roads, making up some excuse of maybe she ran off somewhere. Amy knew her daughter better than that though. She was only three-years-old. She wouldn't just take off like some runaway teenager.
"Custody issues? Does he want more time with A.J?" asked the officer and Amy nodded.
"Yeah, he says he's changed, that he wants to be a father now. I don't want him to have anything to do with A.J though," she said, becoming a little more alert now.
"Ms. Juergens, do you believe A.J's father has anything to do with her disappearance?"
Amy looked up at the officer, suddenly very alert.
"I…I don't know. I don't think so, he was talking to me when I first noticed A.J had disappeared," said Amy and the officer nodded, writing something down on his notepad.
"And he didn't stick around after you realized she had disappeared?" questioned the officer.
"No, but it doesn't surprise me. He's not a parent. He wouldn't understand the severity of the situation," said Amy, suddenly wondering if there was a possibility that Ricky was involved somehow.
"Ms. Juergens, do you have a number we could reach her father at? We would like to question him," said the officer and Amy nodded, easily handing over his information.
If it came to be that Ricky had anything to do with her daughter's disappearance, she would never forgive him.
Amy lied silently in bed, tears streaming down her face. How could she let this happen to her daughter? How could she have taken her eyes off A.J when she knew the importance of watching her every second of every moment. How could she let A.J down like this?
A knock on the door startled Amy, knowing full well that Ben had left an hour earlier, needing to get home before his curfew. They did still have school tomorrow, but Amy didn't want to go. A.J's disappearance was all over the news. Everybody would know about it. Everybody would blame her.
"Amy?"
The sound of her sister's voice brought more tears to her eyes. Within seconds Ashley was sitting at the edge of the bed, gently brushing a strand of hair from her sister's devastated eyes.
She knew she had grown more soft and caring over the past few years, ever since her father left their family and Amy became pregnant. She was nowhere near as rebellious as she used to be, but that flare still showed on occasion. At the moment though all she felt was sadness for her sister and niece who was lost and alone, without the people who loved her the most to protect her.
"Mom's making some tea. She said it will help…you know, with stuff," said Ashley and Amy couldn't help the bitter laugh that escaped.
"Will it bring A.J home?" she asked, and Ashley chewed her lip, pulling her sister from the laying position, gently hugging her, as if she would break if she hugged her too hard.
"I'm not going to lie and say A.J will be fine or were all going to get through this. It's going to be difficult. We just have to stay strong, like we did all those years ago after dad left and you were pregnant. Remember how mom always said that as long as we have each other, somehow things will work out? I didn't believe it then Amy but after witnessing everything that's changed and seeing how everything did work out…I believe it now," said Ashley, steadying Amy as she helped her sister out of bed.
Amy stopped in the doorway, remembering the day A.J was born and remembering just how she had come to be named Ashley Anne Juergens.
She hugged her sister again, forcing a smile for Ashley.
"I love you," she whispered and Ashley rolled her eyes.
"Love you too Amy," she said as she continued down the stairs, knowing A.J was out there and needed to be found, but knowing her sister needed to be saved just as much.