Something That Makes Me Whole
Vingt
I finished settling Amber in front of the TV with her lunch before leaving her with the guys and going to answer the door. I pulled it open and saw a woman and a vicar standing the other side. Behind me I heard the detective asking who it was but I couldn't answer because I didn't know.
"Er, hi." I said, gazing at them. The vicar looked put out, like he didn't want to be here at all, like the woman had forced him.
"Are you Brian?" The woman then asked, wringing her hands together nervously. I nodded as I studied the pair of them. "Oh, hello Sarah."
I looked behind me to see her standing in the hall, staring at the couple. "Er, hi, Mrs Watson, Father Watson."
From the introductions I guessed they were Orchid's parents so I stepped back, holding the door open further for them to enter, which they did so gratefully. As I was closing the door the detective spoke to them. Had they not spoken to them after the disappearance of their daughter three days ago? Or were relations really that bad between them?
I followed them into the living room where they had followed Sarah. Father Watson looked really really put out and it was clear he didn't want to be here. Heartless bastard; his youngest daughter was missing and all he could do was hold up this stupid grudge against her because of her career. If it was Amber, I'd have forgotten all about that now.
"Erm, everybody this is Orchid's parents." Sarah said; I think she felt awkward because her face showed it. "Father Watson, Mrs Watson, this is my boyfriend Zack. Jimmy, Matt, Carla, Johnny, you've met Brian already and this is Brian's daughter Amber."
At the mention of her name she looked up from her plate and waved at them. Mrs Watson gave a small, warming smile to her. Her dad just scowled even more and glared at me. Being a Catholic priest I wasn't surprised about his reaction towards us and to his daughter; we weren't exactly top of the guest list for heaven but I didn't really care. There were more important things to worry about than whether I was committing any sins. Besides, if I hadn't I wouldn't have Amber. I poked Johnny in the shoulder and indicated for him to shift so one of them could sit down.
"Err, do you wanna sit here, Mrs Watson?" He then offered as he stood up and sat on the floor in front of Amber where she was on the sofa.
"Thank you." She smiled and took the seat. Mr Watson stayed where he was by the door.
"What's your problem?" I suddenly heard Matt ask, as he looked at the guy by the door.
"I beg your pardon?" He said, his face full of shock at the bluntness of the question.
"What is your problem?" Matt repeated. "Your youngest daughter has been kidnapped by a wanted escapee from a mental home in Utah and all you can do is hold up your dumb grudge against her! I mean, if God really were real, don't you think he would have stopped this from happening?"
"Don't you dare speak ill of the Holy Father!" He almost roared in reply and I saw Amber jump. She looked a little scared and Jimmy noticed too because he wrapped an arm around her and hugged her. I scowled angrily now. "If she wanted my appraisal she would not have turned her back on the Church."
"If you were a good father it shouldn't matter what she does." I growled through gritted teeth. "You'd love her unconditionally and before this high almighty bloke too."
"Don't tell me how to raise my daughter. At least she wasn't born into sin."
"What's that even supposed to mean?" Zack butted in at that.
I knew exactly what he meant. "I suggest you leave please." I simply said.
"Gladly." He snapped. "Are you coming?"
Mrs Watson frowned. "Wait in the car. I have no quarrel with them and will not leave at your orders."
Mr Watson huffed, leaving the room and a minute later I heard the door slam. At that the atmosphere lightened up and Mrs Watson actually talked to us. Then Amber climbed off the sofa, grabbing one of her pieces of paper with a drawing on it and went over to her as I went to find some coffee.
Just as I was headed back towards the kitchen I heard one of the walkie talkies on the counter blurt into life. I stood still in the doorway of the living room, listening to the crackled noise as the detective acknowledged it. Sarah wandered over, having hear it herself.
"Sarge, we've just had a call from the LAPD. They have reason to believe they've found the kidnapper's whereabouts. They're on their way now."
The house burst into life as I shoved down the cups on the nearest thing to me before looking for my car keys. Quickly I pulled on a jacket and my shoes and made for the door. "Brian, where are you going?" Carla asked curiously from the door as the detective came through from the kitchen.
"Los-"
"If you may?" I stared at the detective like he was mad for stopping me from going now. I entered the living room anyway and everyone looked up. Then he began to explain what was going on, clearly forgetting the four year old.
Amber came over and tugged the edge of my jacket. I looked down at her bright eyes and lifted her up in my arms. "What does he mean?" She asked.
"The police in LA think they've found Orchid, sweetie." I answered, putting a lock of her hair behind her ear.
"Does that mean she's coming home now?"
I nodded and she hugged me. "I'm going to fetch her now."
"Erm, I suggest you stay here until given the go ahead yet." The detective turned to me and then looked at the others who were all getting ready to get in their cars and drive to LA. "We don't know if they will find anything and if they do, what they will find."
I scowled. I know he was being sensitive because of Amber but even so he was practically implying so could be...well you know. I pushed passed him, setting Amber down on the sofa as well sank back into our own seats.
Now came the wait.
"Er, hi." I said, gazing at them. The vicar looked put out, like he didn't want to be here at all, like the woman had forced him.
"Are you Brian?" The woman then asked, wringing her hands together nervously. I nodded as I studied the pair of them. "Oh, hello Sarah."
I looked behind me to see her standing in the hall, staring at the couple. "Er, hi, Mrs Watson, Father Watson."
From the introductions I guessed they were Orchid's parents so I stepped back, holding the door open further for them to enter, which they did so gratefully. As I was closing the door the detective spoke to them. Had they not spoken to them after the disappearance of their daughter three days ago? Or were relations really that bad between them?
I followed them into the living room where they had followed Sarah. Father Watson looked really really put out and it was clear he didn't want to be here. Heartless bastard; his youngest daughter was missing and all he could do was hold up this stupid grudge against her because of her career. If it was Amber, I'd have forgotten all about that now.
"Erm, everybody this is Orchid's parents." Sarah said; I think she felt awkward because her face showed it. "Father Watson, Mrs Watson, this is my boyfriend Zack. Jimmy, Matt, Carla, Johnny, you've met Brian already and this is Brian's daughter Amber."
At the mention of her name she looked up from her plate and waved at them. Mrs Watson gave a small, warming smile to her. Her dad just scowled even more and glared at me. Being a Catholic priest I wasn't surprised about his reaction towards us and to his daughter; we weren't exactly top of the guest list for heaven but I didn't really care. There were more important things to worry about than whether I was committing any sins. Besides, if I hadn't I wouldn't have Amber. I poked Johnny in the shoulder and indicated for him to shift so one of them could sit down.
"Err, do you wanna sit here, Mrs Watson?" He then offered as he stood up and sat on the floor in front of Amber where she was on the sofa.
"Thank you." She smiled and took the seat. Mr Watson stayed where he was by the door.
"What's your problem?" I suddenly heard Matt ask, as he looked at the guy by the door.
"I beg your pardon?" He said, his face full of shock at the bluntness of the question.
"What is your problem?" Matt repeated. "Your youngest daughter has been kidnapped by a wanted escapee from a mental home in Utah and all you can do is hold up your dumb grudge against her! I mean, if God really were real, don't you think he would have stopped this from happening?"
"Don't you dare speak ill of the Holy Father!" He almost roared in reply and I saw Amber jump. She looked a little scared and Jimmy noticed too because he wrapped an arm around her and hugged her. I scowled angrily now. "If she wanted my appraisal she would not have turned her back on the Church."
"If you were a good father it shouldn't matter what she does." I growled through gritted teeth. "You'd love her unconditionally and before this high almighty bloke too."
"Don't tell me how to raise my daughter. At least she wasn't born into sin."
"What's that even supposed to mean?" Zack butted in at that.
I knew exactly what he meant. "I suggest you leave please." I simply said.
"Gladly." He snapped. "Are you coming?"
Mrs Watson frowned. "Wait in the car. I have no quarrel with them and will not leave at your orders."
Mr Watson huffed, leaving the room and a minute later I heard the door slam. At that the atmosphere lightened up and Mrs Watson actually talked to us. Then Amber climbed off the sofa, grabbing one of her pieces of paper with a drawing on it and went over to her as I went to find some coffee.
Just as I was headed back towards the kitchen I heard one of the walkie talkies on the counter blurt into life. I stood still in the doorway of the living room, listening to the crackled noise as the detective acknowledged it. Sarah wandered over, having hear it herself.
"Sarge, we've just had a call from the LAPD. They have reason to believe they've found the kidnapper's whereabouts. They're on their way now."
The house burst into life as I shoved down the cups on the nearest thing to me before looking for my car keys. Quickly I pulled on a jacket and my shoes and made for the door. "Brian, where are you going?" Carla asked curiously from the door as the detective came through from the kitchen.
"Los-"
"If you may?" I stared at the detective like he was mad for stopping me from going now. I entered the living room anyway and everyone looked up. Then he began to explain what was going on, clearly forgetting the four year old.
Amber came over and tugged the edge of my jacket. I looked down at her bright eyes and lifted her up in my arms. "What does he mean?" She asked.
"The police in LA think they've found Orchid, sweetie." I answered, putting a lock of her hair behind her ear.
"Does that mean she's coming home now?"
I nodded and she hugged me. "I'm going to fetch her now."
"Erm, I suggest you stay here until given the go ahead yet." The detective turned to me and then looked at the others who were all getting ready to get in their cars and drive to LA. "We don't know if they will find anything and if they do, what they will find."
I scowled. I know he was being sensitive because of Amber but even so he was practically implying so could be...well you know. I pushed passed him, setting Amber down on the sofa as well sank back into our own seats.
Now came the wait.