Page 92 of Scoring Chances

Energy. Hope. A desperate desire to see the one you love, the one you’d hoped to see again.

Driving to the police station is a blur.

Maddie doesn’t even have on real shoes as we trek inside. But the second we lay eyes on him, she runs to her little brother. He’s sitting outside the police chief’s office next to an officer. Wrapped in a blanket. Hair mussed. Looking just like his two older brothers.

He smiles and we know–he’s okay.

He lets Maddie nearly knock him back with the force of her hug. Followed by Cole and Joshua.

And for the first time all day I can breathe. We all can.

I know something changed in me, the second I approached the family.

Something changed in all of us. Things that were so trivial just yesterday morning seem as insignificant as a fleck of dust.

Perspective does that.

Parker sees me approaching and launches into my arms. I hold him tight to me. This little boy. In such a small amount of time, has managed to teach me so much.

Joshua talks to the police chief about the details of Parker’s disappearance and reappearance.

Someone dropped him off at the entrance of the station. Someone who didn’t want to be seen. They’d scour the footage outside the station. They’d find out who was responsible.

Parker mentioned a man and a woman. But couldn’t give any more details. He’s two. There’s not much we can get out of a toddler who’s still wearing pull ups.

He did show up in a clean pair of pull ups after having been missing all day. So whoever had him. Took some kind of care of him.

The disgruntled nanny still hasn’t been found. She’s still the number one suspect. And the most likely person responsible.

It pisses me off that someone could have the heart to take a little boy.

Joshua told me what she’d told him outside the night she came to the skate night party at the house. Reece. How she demanded payment for services rendered. I don’t know how she even came to find out about how much I was making sitting for Joshua Hicks.

But later in the day. I found out just what she was capable of.

It comes through as a series of texts from an unknown number.

Unknown

Cassidy.

Or should I call you, Sid?

Collect your money. And leave Joshua Hicks and the kids immediately.

Don’t tell anyone you about these messages. Unless you want someone to get hurt, this time.

I will know if you notify the police.

I will know if you do not comply.

Do we have an understanding?

I’ve never been blackmailed. I’ve never been coerced. I’ve never been forced to do something that I would never want to do and still feel the need to do it.

Love does that.

And I may be stupid for engaging with someone who is likely a psychopath.