MAP OF THE PROBLEMATIQUE

Chapter 18: Windsong

"Captain Hamilton!"

One of the officers shouted from the boat house I hadn't even seen yet. He called out again, and Hamilton was there in an instant. "What is it?"

The young officer had a grin on his face and he was pointing to the boathouse behind him. My heart was slamming at such a rate, I thought I'd have a heart attack. Looking to the door, it slowly swung open, and two more officers came out. Right on their heels, nearly as beaten as myself, was Lydia.

Alive.

And that's when I went ballistic. I started screaming.

"LYDIA!!!"

"Mommy? Mommy!! Mommy, mommy, mommy!!"

Collapsing, I snatched up my daughter, holding her to me so tight I felt she would break. I sobbed so hard I thought I'd break. "Oh, God! Lydia, baby! I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, baby, I'm so sorry..... Mommy's here, mommy's here..... Oh, thank you, God, thank you!!"

"Oh, Mom," Lydia sobbed. "I wanna go home!"

"I know, angel, we will, we will! I'm just so happy to see you!"

"I'm happy to see you, too. I love you, Mommy."

"I love you, too, sweetheart."

"Lydds?!"

"Aunt Sallie!" my daughter screeched, pulling away to throw herself at her aunt, who, like me, was hysterical.

"Jesus, baby! You've come back to us....."

Joe watched our reunion from only a few feet away, grinning like a maniac. I stood up and joined him. "Joe." I smiled, still trying to control the sobs that continued to shake me. "We have her back. We have her back....."

He pulled me towards him and held me tightly. "Yes....." he whispered. "We did it, love. We did it."

"Mommy, who's your friend?"

I turned, smiling down at my girl. "Lydia.... I'd like you to meet my friend Joe. He's a good man, and..... well, he's been very good to me while you were gone. He helped me find you."

"Joe?"

"Yes, Lydia?"

"Did you really help find me?"

"I did. But it couldn't have been done had it not been for your mother and your aunt."

Lydia smiled and reached up for him. Suprised, Joe crouched down and hugged her. All of us were suprised when she leaned in and kissed his cheek. "I hope you can stay with us, Joe."

"Uh-- well, we'll just have to see, won't we?" Joe looked up at me and laughed.

In the cruiser moments later, we pulled away from that terrible house forever.

"Mommy?"

"Hmm?"

"Sing for me, will you?"

I grinned. "What would you have me sing?"

"You know."

I chuckled. "Imba wimbo wa upepo, wakati unajuwa na; imba wimbo wa upepo, wakati ndoto tamu; lala mpaka, usiku uishen; upepo wa usiku, wimbo wakona. Wimbo wangu, unaendelea; upepo wa usiku, wimbo wakona....."

The four of us rode home together as a family.

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Music: Chapter named after the song "Windsong" by James Horner. Wait, we discussed this, that's right. :D I felt it fitting that the chapter in which Wendy and Lydia are reunited is named after Lydia's favorite song. :D