Finding You Again

Chapter Three

"…I fell to pieces. Then I woke up to no one, just a picture of Jesus in a house left in pieces…"

"Everything That You Ever Wanted" by Hawk Nelson (Tooth & Nail Records) from Hawk Nelson is my Friend

The next day was Friday. After school, Joline went to her aunt and uncle's house again. Vanessa was working late again, and she had asked her brother-in-law if Joline could camp out in the guest room like she had so many times before. In fact, Frank and Callie's "guest room" had been converted into "Joline's second bedroom".

Joline spent most of her free time at her uncle's house. He was the closest thing she'd ever had to a father, and Callie was like a second mom, filling in when Vanessa had to work overtime. Joline knew that her mom felt like she wasn't spending enough time with her daughter, but Joline knew that being a single parent wasn't easy.

After riding home with Darren, she walked inside the house and deposited her overnight duffel in her "bedroom". "Dad's got a friend coming over for dinner tonight," Jessi Marie informed her as she stepped into the living room.

"Who?" Joline wanted to know as she picked up her adorable cousin and hugged her.

The child giggled, then answered, "Uncle Chet!"

Chester Morton was still clumsy, still pudgy, and still funny. And he was still the best friend Frank had ever had—besides Joe. An energetic idealist who ran a toy company, Chet had finally found a way to turn his creativity into something productive.

He sat at the kitchen table, plate full of loads of anything and everything on the table. The others had finished eating fifteen minutes ago, and while Frank and Callie sat at the table and kept Chet company while he devoured his third helpings, Joline and Darren plopped down on the couch and started flipping through channels.

Jessi Marie was already asleep—her bedtime was seven-thirty—and Joey was at soccer practice. "Hey, check this out," Darren nudged Joline, who was nodding off thanks to the great turkey dinner Callie had prepared.

"Huh? Who dat?" she muttered, shaking her head and grinning. "Are you sure Aunt Callie didn't put any sleeping pills in that turkey? Because I'm exhausted." Or maybe it's from losing sleep from all those dreams about my dad. Joline didn't know why, but she hadn't been sleeping well lately, always waking up after dreams about her father. He seemed to be on her mind at all times lately; he had almost become an obsession and Joline wasn't sure why.

Darren just chuckled and pointed to the television screen. "Senator Walker's campaign is starting off pretty well."

"Oh, yeah." Joline wasn't very interested in politics, but Darren was. She tried to look lively as he spouted on about the candidate for president.

"See, something happened about…I dunno, I think eighteen or so years ago. An assassination attempt—right here in Bayport. The details are a little fuzzy, but apparently the murder was stopped by some locals. I've asked Dad about it, since he was a kid when it happened, but all he's told me is that it was a bomb and that the whole story wasn't released to the public.

"But anyway, after that, Walker stepped back and laid low just in case someone else was after him. He continued to work in the government, until finally, Grandpa convinced him to run for president again."

Suddenly interested, Joline stared at her cousin. "Grandpa Fenton? Since when is he involved with the most powerful people in the country?"

Darren raised his eyebrows. "Did you forget he worked in the police force and then was a private detective? He was world famous, JoJo. He hasn't confirmed it, but I'm pretty sure that he was one of the people involved in stopping the assassination." He lowered his voice. "And I think Dad and Uncle Joe were, too."

Joline snorted. "Okay, you're reaching, Mr. Detective," she chuckled. "Your dad would've told you if he'd been involved, right?"

"I don't know, Dad's been kinda weird lately—" Darren suddenly broke off, his eyes glued to the screen.

"What? Darren, what's up?"

Silently, Darren pointed at the screen. Joline raised her blue eyes and froze, her heart racing in her chest. It was like looking in a mirror, right back into her own blue eyes. She shook her head, but the image stayed the same.

It couldn't be. But it was.

The man glared at the screen, then spun on his heel and marched away from the press conference, scowling.

It was her father.

~Emachinescat ^..^