Ariel laid between her mom and dad on the cool green grass watching the clouds float above them, pointing out the different shapes. The white fluffy clouds turned black with each laugh they had shared bringing a massive storm with it. She ran with Zoe and Justin holding her hands tightly, her little hands slipped from theirs as the darkness settled in surrounding her.
"Mom, Dad," she yelled through her cries. She looked around her eyes not able to make anything out. She ran one way and it never ended so she headed in a different direction, the blackness never ending to let her make it out, it seemed like she was running in place.
"Ariel, sweetie." She followed her mom's panicked voice, letting the safety she felt carry her through the darkness. She could always count on her mom, always. There standing alone in meadow filled with brightly colored wildflowers, stood her mom, the birds little chirps filling her ears, easing the panic that had risen within her to vanish.
"Mom," Ariel squealed with delight seeing her mom. Rushing to her she hung on tight looking at her dad lying peaceful in the white lining of his forever bed. The delight she had just felt slipped away being replaced by anguish. She closed her eyes wanting this to be over with.
Opening her eyes she watched as a family played in their yard laughter was the only sound you could hear until the screeching of tires became unbearable. Ariel watched in horror as time stood still as the car slammed into a post sending debris flying high in the air. She ran to the first set of arms waiting to comfort her.
"Hey munchkin," Wade cooed in her ear, his fingers rubbing calming circles on her back. "Shh Ariel, you're okay," he said softly. "It was a nightmare nothing more." Her little nap mid-day wasn't planned; she had slowly drifted off listening to the soft melody of the music being played.
"My Father was there and the next minute he's lying there in his coffin lifeless and then we're a happy family all of us like we are now and Mom..." Ariel trailed off. "Please tell me she's okay," Ariel begged. It had all felt real to her and she had to know that the one constant in her life was okay because she couldn't lose her mom as well.
"Your Mom is okay, she'll be home shortly," he assured her. She gave a little nod, willing the images from her mind, it felt so life like and that scared her. She had lost her father and coping with that was an ongoing battle. Her mom was the one person she could count on for everything.
Ariel paced around the house, nothing Wade tired worked to get Ariel to relax. The more she paced the more worried he had gotten not only for his daughter but for his wife. She was supposed to be home over an hour ago. Whenever she was running late she would call him and inform him, but today he heard nothing from her. She had promised that she would take it easy and that she would be home to rest before Ariel's grandparents showed up. He had called Zoe's cell but that went straight to voicemail, he called the practice but was told that she had left over an hour ago, he called everyone that he could think of in town that would know anything and none of them had seen her. He couldn't get a hold of Lavon but he didn't think anything of that.
When Henry and Ruby showed up and Zoe wasn't back yet, Wade was on edge. Anything could have happened to his wife and he was left in the dark. He had tried to remain cool while Ariel sat close to him and refused to move closer to her grandparents, he figured it was going to take sometime after they had basically abandoned her when she little. Basic questions had been asked and Ariel told them the answers whether it was the answers they were looking for or not. She didn't have regards in holding back to spare their feelings.
"Dad," Ariel said, ignoring the latest question they had asked her. Wade tore his gaze from the front window to his daughter. "Where's Mom?" She asked frightened. Wade sighed hating that he had to be the one to tell her that he had no idea where she was at. Over the last few months they had gotten good at letting each other know where they were going to be and at what time and Wade made sure he knew every single detail in her day just in case something went wrong, he knew right where to look, but now he had no idea where she was at and it was freaking him out.
"Yes, where is Zoe?" Ruby asked. "We were under the impression that she'd be here." He really didn't want to discus where his wife was at with Ruby and Henry of all people, but he had to think of something to sooth Ariel.
His head shot to the door when it opened and Braxton bounced into the house still laughing. Jesse followed his nephew into the house. Wade quickly got up and went over to Jesse. "What's going on?" Jesse asked, seeing the look on his brother's face.
"You haven't seen Zoe have you?" Wade asked under his breath not wanting his guests or Ariel to hear what they were saying.
"The last I saw of her she was with Lavon," Jesse told him. "Why?"
"No reason," he told his brother. "Right now isn't really a good time though," Wade told him. Jesse looked over his brother's shoulder to see who was there and seeing the couple he understood why. Jesse nodded and headed out the door. Wade shut the door and went back over to Ariel; he kissed the top of her head, whispering in her ear, "she's with Uncle Lavon." That might have explained why he wasn't able to reach either one of them.