Waiting

The Topic: 
Someone has stolen something from you (or your character). Something of tremendous value. What will you do to get it back? Or will you give up? 

She unlocked the front door and entered the dark, empty house. Too quiet. She walked slowly up the stairs and straight into Connor’s room, as she had every night. She sat on the bed, and hugged his pillow to her chest.

How did it come to this?

He had been gone a month now. The police wouldn’t help her because she had never filed a formal custody agreement. “He’s the boy’s father,” they told her. “He has a right to be with his son.” There was never a reason to file a custody agreement. Phil had always been so accommodating. She wanted to believe that even though their marriage was over, they could still have a friendly relationship for Connor’s sake.

She was so stupid.

Her sister tried to calm her down. “You’re going to get him back,“ she encouraged. “You’re doing everything by the book. Your lawyer is filing all the right papers. You never kept Connor from seeing his father. A judge is going to look favorably on that. And think of it this way: at least it’s not some stranger with him. He’s not in any danger, he’s with his father.”

This did little to ease her fears.

She didn’t even know why he was doing this. What motive could he possibly have? She had given Phil everything he wanted. She would never have dreamed of keeping Connor away from his father. Why was he doing this? Why? Whywhywhywhywhywhy……..

Every day for the last 32 days, she had tried to get a hold of Phil. He didn’t answer her emails or calls. His secretary claimed he was always in meetings during the day. Phil had pulled Connor out of his preschool, and his apartment was always deserted. Where was he? Where was he hiding?

He was undoubtedly hiding Connor with whatever short skirted whore he was dating that week. Whoever she was, she was most assuredly not Connor’s mother.

Who was helping him brush his teeth? Who was making sure he finished his dinner? Was he in a new preschool? Did he miss his friends? Who was reading to him at night?

Was he missing her as much as she missed him? Did he cry himself to sleep at night? Who was wiping his tears away?

She signed a heavy sigh and curled up on the bed, trying to breathe in the last lingering remnants of his scent. She had just fallen asleep when the ring from her cell phone woke her.

“Hello?”

“Mommy? Daddy says we’re coming home tomorrow!”

She closed her eyes in sweet relief. And the tears fell.