Status: Progressing
The Twins
Meanwhile...
...Michael watched as Caroline drove off. He wasn't sure where she was going and he knew his guess was as good as Caroline's. He swallowed hard.
No, he told himself. She will come back. She always has before. Just, in the mean time.
He took a deep breath. Katelyn came out.
"What happened?" she asked.
"I don't know," Michael answered.
"Where'd Carrie go?"
"I don't know."
Kati came running out.
"Where's Mommy?" she asked.
Michael looked at Katelyn and Katelyn looked at him. Unlike Carrie, this parenting stuff did not come naturally and even after six years he still struggled to do these simple things.
"Mommy went out for a drive."
"When will Mommy be back?"
"Later," he responded pushing Kati back into the house.
Katelyn pulled out her cell phone. It went straight to voice mail.
"Carrie, it's Kate. I don't know where you are, but we need you back here. I don't know what happened, but if you want some one to talk to you can always call me. Carrie, I'm always here for you. I love you Carrie. You're like the little sister I never had. Love you tons, Kate."
Kate blinked back the tears.
The eight years I've known Carrie she's never ever done anything like this.
She walked back inside.
"Has she done that before?" Kate asked.
"All the time."
Kate slouched in one of the kitchen chairs.
"She either runs away or runs to her best friend, but either way she always comes back. She's been doing this since college," he added.
That doesn't sound like the Carrie I know, she thought. All week's been fine. In fact, she's been having fun.
Kate sighed quietly and the phone rang.
"Hello. Taylor residence. Katelyn speaking."
"Hi. Is, um, Carrie there by any chance?"
"I'm sorry she just left. I'd give you her cell number but it's off. Can I take a message?"
There was a silence, as if the person on the other end was thinking of how to answer that.
"Um, no. Do you know when she'll be back?"
"I wish. No. I'll let her know some one called though."
"Thank you."
The line went dead so Kate hung up the phone.
That was odd, she thought. Hmp.
Kate walked into the backroom to find Michael playing with his twins.
He's even odder then that boy who called.
She sat on one of the blow up beds.
They look the same on the outside, she thought. Not on the inside. Kati's loud, like her mom. Very confident. Not afraid. Kaci's shy and quiet. Not quite sure where she got that from. She's very smart too. I'm sure she's smarter then Kati, and eventually she'll be smarter then all of us. Who knows, maybe some day she could be some one more then Kaci Rae. Maybe some day some one would know that name as a well known inventor, or something. I'm kinda scarred to think of how they'd know Kati. She's not afraid of anything. Not afraid of getting in trouble.
Kate laughed. Most people wouldn't look at a six-year-old and think she might get arrested.
"Michael, are you staying here or-"
"I have a hotel room. Do you want to me to take the girls?"
"Sure. If you want to."
"I'll take them tonight."
"Thank you."
No, he told himself. She will come back. She always has before. Just, in the mean time.
He took a deep breath. Katelyn came out.
"What happened?" she asked.
"I don't know," Michael answered.
"Where'd Carrie go?"
"I don't know."
Kati came running out.
"Where's Mommy?" she asked.
Michael looked at Katelyn and Katelyn looked at him. Unlike Carrie, this parenting stuff did not come naturally and even after six years he still struggled to do these simple things.
"Mommy went out for a drive."
"When will Mommy be back?"
"Later," he responded pushing Kati back into the house.
Katelyn pulled out her cell phone. It went straight to voice mail.
"Carrie, it's Kate. I don't know where you are, but we need you back here. I don't know what happened, but if you want some one to talk to you can always call me. Carrie, I'm always here for you. I love you Carrie. You're like the little sister I never had. Love you tons, Kate."
Kate blinked back the tears.
The eight years I've known Carrie she's never ever done anything like this.
She walked back inside.
"Has she done that before?" Kate asked.
"All the time."
Kate slouched in one of the kitchen chairs.
"She either runs away or runs to her best friend, but either way she always comes back. She's been doing this since college," he added.
That doesn't sound like the Carrie I know, she thought. All week's been fine. In fact, she's been having fun.
Kate sighed quietly and the phone rang.
"Hello. Taylor residence. Katelyn speaking."
"Hi. Is, um, Carrie there by any chance?"
"I'm sorry she just left. I'd give you her cell number but it's off. Can I take a message?"
There was a silence, as if the person on the other end was thinking of how to answer that.
"Um, no. Do you know when she'll be back?"
"I wish. No. I'll let her know some one called though."
"Thank you."
The line went dead so Kate hung up the phone.
That was odd, she thought. Hmp.
Kate walked into the backroom to find Michael playing with his twins.
He's even odder then that boy who called.
She sat on one of the blow up beds.
They look the same on the outside, she thought. Not on the inside. Kati's loud, like her mom. Very confident. Not afraid. Kaci's shy and quiet. Not quite sure where she got that from. She's very smart too. I'm sure she's smarter then Kati, and eventually she'll be smarter then all of us. Who knows, maybe some day she could be some one more then Kaci Rae. Maybe some day some one would know that name as a well known inventor, or something. I'm kinda scarred to think of how they'd know Kati. She's not afraid of anything. Not afraid of getting in trouble.
Kate laughed. Most people wouldn't look at a six-year-old and think she might get arrested.
"Michael, are you staying here or-"
"I have a hotel room. Do you want to me to take the girls?"
"Sure. If you want to."
"I'll take them tonight."
"Thank you."