"You're doing great Wanda" Candy said. I was in the hospital and Candy was doing a checkup. I little bump was forming on my belly and every day I was becoming more excited. Ian squeezed my hand "I told you so" and gave me a wink. I was so happy and the caves were buzzing because the last child to be born was Freedom. It had only been a few weeks since we found out and life for me and Ian was good. My friends reverted back to their old behavior. Taking the dishes from me and relieving from my work. This time around I didn't mind so much. I was frequently tired.
Doc was concerned with my body being so little that it would be hard for me to carry the baby. I was doing well though but I was ordered to visit Doc and Candy every other day. I didn't mind though, I knew they were doing their best to make me comfortable.
Jaime and Rowan were behaving themselves and I was so happy to see Jaime happy. Jaime had found love and started teasing Uncle Jeb calling him grandpa. Uncle Jeb always smiled and winked at me and walked away shaking his head. Jodi was present in Sunny more and a raid was planned to get Sunny a new body. Jaime, Rowan, Jared and Melanie were going to go. Melanie insisted because my clothes were no longer fitting me and I was wearing Jaime's old sweatpants. Her argument was that maybe someone else might need maternity clothes one day.
As Ian and I left the hospital we walked toward the great room to help with the harvest Ian refused to let me help, not wanting to argue with him I sat on a blanket at the edge of the field.
"Ian! Ian! Jared! Jeb!" Kyle ran into the room. Everyone looked up in surprise. "She's gone Ian! Jodi's gone!" Ian ran to his brother "It's ok, Sunny will find her again. We already know that sometimes this happens. Don't pa-"
"No you idiot! Sunny is gone! She took off with Jodi's body!"
Jeb looked worried "We don't know if she took off with Jodi's body. Let's not jump to conclusions. All right everyone start looking!" Jeb turned to Kyle "When was the last time you seen her?"
Kyle was frantic "I don't know, an hour maybe two. I laid down for a nap and when I woke up she was gone." Kyle's eyes swept across the great room hoping that he had missed her.
It was Jared who spoke "Kyle, have you checked the stream by the bathing pool?"
"No!" Kyle pushed Jared "No! Don't say that! I'm not losing her again!" He kept pushing Jared and tears had started to stream down his face as he gave up and crumpled to the floor. I had never seen Kyle cry before and I felt the tears welling in my eyes. My heart broke for him. I put my arms around Kyle to try to comfort him. He looked at me "Wanda, I can't do this again. What do I do? What did I do?" He put his arms around my waist and cried into my lap. I couldn't help but to share his tears seeing him hurt like this hurt me. How could this man ever tried to kill me? "Shhh Kyle, we'll find her" was all I could manage to say. I looked at Ian and Jared with the tears falling down "You'll find her right Ian? Jared?" Ian put his arms around me and patted his brothers back. "We'll do our best bro, it'll be all right. Why don't you let Wanda take you back to our room" This wasn't a question it's what Ian wanted us to do.
They searched all night. The good news was that there was no evidence that the rock shelf had broken above the stream and that she could not have fallen in. Jared let a team into the dessert looking for any signs of her. The next day in the caves was somber and Jared's team kept looking. That night, a group had congregated into our room as we ate dinner. Kyle just stared at his food with the tears in his eyes threatening to spill over. "We'll go again tomorrow night Kyle, we won't give up" Jared broke the silence. Kyle stood up and nodded at Jared and left our room. We all sat in grim silence for several moments. "If she didn't fall in, where did she go?" Jaime asked. "There are no tracks around the caves and…" Jaime's voice trailed off. Rowan put her hand through his and gave it a tight squeeze.
Melanie sighed "I don't know Jaime; she just didn't vanish into thin air"
The nights were long with anticipation waiting for Jared, Ian and the search party to come home. Three nights have passed and still no sign of her. On the fourth night Ian returned with a piece of cloth in his hands. We all recognized it immediately. It was the thin jacket Sunny wore frequently. Ian looked at me with tears streaming down his face "We have to tell Kyle."
"Tell Kyle what?" Kyle was standing behind Ian with his hands balled into fist. Ian looked at me with pain and reluctance in his face. He slowly turned to Kyle and handed Sunny's jacket to him.
"We found it by the old cabin Kyle. I'm so sorry. There were no tracks just the jacket. Jeb thinks coyotes maybe. I'm sorry"
Kyle whispered "You don't know that" as he clenched her jacket in his hands "You don't know that!" he shouted at Ian and took off running.
Jared looked at Ian "I'll go find him; you should stay here with Wanda."
Ian nodded and we made our way back to our room. We spent the day crying and even though I had no appetite, Ian made me eat something. The food had no taste to it. I have not mourned like this since Walter passed. Finally Ian and I cried each other to sleep. We mourned for Sunny, we mourned for Jodi, we mourned for Kyle. Our happiness was short lived with the disappearance of Sunny.