Raphael's Captive

Chapter 19

"Hello?"

"M-m-mom?" The single word came out in so many syllables, as the familiar voice filled Tami's ears. A sob almost broke from her lips when her mother gasped.

"It can't be," she mumbled, sounding stunned. "My baby girl. Tami is that really you?"

The tears she had tried to contain came rushing down when her mother called her name. The relief in her voice was enough to set Tami's heart at peace forever.

"Yes mama. It's me." Tami threw a hand over her mouth to muffle her sobs, remembering that she needed to convince her mother that she was okay, and that they don’t need to worry anymore. But crying like this would give the wrong idea.

Tami could hear her mother calling for her sister in pure joy, telling her that Tami was on the line.

"You're lying," Amy, her sister, grabbed the phone to see if it were true. "Tami? Tami are you really there?" Amy was already crying from the joy she felt, knowing her older sister was alive.

She had had sleepless nights for days, worrying about her best friend in the whole world.

Tami's heart clenched painfully that she almost stumbled back, but she had to steady her voice as best as possible. "It's me Amy. I'm fine. How are you?"

"How am I?" she cried. "I've been a mess! Where are you? You were kidnapped, Tami. I've been worried sick."

Guilt ate away at her, and even Raphael, who was silently watching the interaction, felt terrible for the pain that was obvious on Tami's face.

How would she say it?

"I wasn’t kidnapped, Amy. I'm so sorry for the pain you all have been going through. I see now how selfish I was, and I really wanted to let you all know that I'm fine, and I’ll be home soon."

"Nonsense!" Her mother shrieked in the background. "That is not like you, Tami. Are you saying you ran away?"

"Yes." She squeezed her eyes shut and bit down hard on her lip to contain her cries. "Well, no. Not exactly. I had to leave promptly on a once in a lifetime trip. I've lost my phone and I didn’t get a chance to call until now."

"You don’t expect us to believe that?" her sister asked furiously. "Tami, tell us where you are. We will send the police and you'll be home."

"I know the day you disappeared, we weren’t on speaking terms," her mother added. "But we know that you didn’t just leave like that. It's so unlike you."

"Well I've just graduated from grad school, mom. I needed a get away and as I said, it wasn't planned."

"You would've told me," Amy snapped. "You tell me everything."

"Not this Amy. I'm sorry guys. I really am. I love you all so much and I'll be home soon. I just wanted to tell you not to worry anymore. I am safe and...happy." Tami paused as she quickly gazed at Raphael, knowing the risk she was taking for him.

They'll forgive her. They have to.

"Is dad there?" More than anything, she pained for her father.

He was ill, and the stress that her disappearance may have caused ate away at her conscience. Nights upon nights she laid awake at night, wondering if the stress made him fall even more ill.

"No," Amy mumbled almost silently. "He-he doesn’t know. He's with his uncle John in Canada, after mom convinced him to take a trip home to see his family. As far as he's concerned, you left to stay with a friend for the summer."

Tami released a breath she didn’t even know she was holding. That was good thinking, she wanted to applaud, but she wouldn’t dare after all the trouble she'd put them through.