Better Off Alone (Adopted by Brendon and Sarah Urie)

63. Brendon

We took Callie shopping for some clothes for school, and because she insists on growing. Which, obviously is what she's supposed to be doing. We went to The Gap, Old Navy, some other stores for shoes and winter clothes. We went into Hot Topic and got her some 'Nightmare Before Christmas' stuff as well.

As we were coming out of the store, a group of people surrounded us. Someone had recognized Zack and I, and must have posted it online somewhere.

I tried to be cordial and friendly, but as I looked around, I saw that Sarah and Kala were doing their best to stay together, and Sarah was looking around. I couldn't see Callie anywhere.

"Sarah! Where's Callie?" she looked around and shrugged. She couldn't see her, either.

Zack was doing his best to get me separated from the crowd of fans, and I was doing my best to find my daughter.

Sarah was looking around, too.

Zack managed to get the four of us back into the Hot Topic we'd just left. They led us into their back room as they attempted to empty their store, close their gates and call mall security.

"Where's Callie?" I asked, looking around the room. "She didn't come in with us? Where is she?"

Sarah looked around as well.

"I'll go out and look for her," Zack said.

"They all recognized you, too," Sarah said.

"Yeah, but I'm bigger than them," Zack said. "And she's tiny."

I was worried. Callie was out in a crowd alone. She wouldn't hear what people might be shouting around and at her.

My phone vibrated. It was a text from Callie.

"Where are you? I'm scared," she wrote.

"Where are you?!" I texted back.

"Callie's texting me," I said. "She's scared."

"I'm going out to find her," Zack said.

"Dad! Help!" Callie texted. "I don't know where I am. There are too many people around me and I don't know what they're saying!"

"Can you see any store names around you?" I texted.

"I think I'm near the food court. I see McDonald's. There are a lot of people here and they're kind of forcing me to go the way they're going. I can't get back! And they're all talking at me!"

"Keep telling me where you are, okay? Zack's coming to look for you.

Callie texted back a couple of times with store names she could see as the crowd of fans pushed back towards the store... I think.

Then she stopped responding. I texted Zack immediately.

"Callie stopped answering my texts. I don't know if she has the ringer on on her phone. Please, Zack, find her!"

"I will. You know I will," he replied. "Where was she the last time she texted?" 

"Near the Auntie Ann's," I typed.

The next little while just dragged by. Zack found the group of fans but he couldn't find Callie.

"Could she have gone into a store to hide?" I asked no one in particular.

We waited and waited. Finally, Zack came back. Without Callie.

"I can't find her anywhere, B," he said, worry clear on his face.

We were going to have to call the police. And get security to search for Callie.

We got that in motion. Security took us through some back corridors to their office where the four of us sat and waited and told the security officers, and then the police when they arrived, what we could. And emphasizing that Callie is Deaf, and by now probably terrified. We gave the security and police officers her phone number so they could text her as well, and even call and see if they could hear her phone ring.

I sat in a board room in the security office with Sarah and Zack and Kala and held my head in my hands. Sarah had her arm wrapped around mine and Zack was pacing.

"I should be out there looking for her," Zack said.

"So should I," I said.

"How did this happen?" Sarah asked. "She was right beside us."

None of us knew how to answer any of our questions.

All we knew was Callie was somewhere, presumably in the mall, alone, separated from us, and unable to hear. And for some reason, wasn't responding to texts.

I kept trying her anyway. 

"Callie, sweetie, where are you?"

No response.

I sighed. Sarah tightened her grip on me.

Then we heard the best thing ever over a police officer's radio:

"We found her."