Worst Summer Ever... (Book 7 of Adopted by Jenna and Tyler Joseph)

16. Jenna

Samantha's been gone a month and a half now. I'm having trouble keeping it together. There hasn't been another sighting since around her birthday a month ago. Nothing.

Every day that Samantha was gone was another day that could bring us closer to losing her for good. She would have run out of insulin within a day or so from the day he took her.

We were now convinced Mark had her. He'd said almost as much when he spoke to Carol.

Carol. The last person I expected to get involved and the last person I would have thought to turn to, had been a godsend. She was checking in with us, letting us know if she heard from Mark. She hadn't been able to determine very much but he had called a few times and she started trying to keep track of area codes.

She had calls from Washington State, Iowa and Oregon. Never long enough for her to get much information. Occasionally he'd talk to Emma and Benji and they'd ask where he was and whether he knew what was happening. They were acting innocent, but both kids knew what their father had done and were trying to manipulate their father into revealing something that could lead authorities to the whereabouts of their cousin and their father.

I spent most of my days puttering around the house and trying not to cry. But it was hard. Samantha's room is right at the top of the stairs. Her insulin is still in the fridge. Her crutches are in the closet. Her wheelchair is in the laundry room. 

The first week she was gone I was doing laundry and broke down because Sam's school t-shirt for PE was in there. Would Samantha see her senior year?

Sarah and Brendon were calling regularly to be kept informed, too. They wanted to come in but we'd asked them to please let us grieve alone. We love them and we know how much they love Samantha, but having house guests would not be good right now. I know they help out and they really were amazing when Samantha was missing back when we adopted her. But I don't have the energy for extra people. I barely had the energy to keep the two tiny humans in the house entertained and fed and watered. Thank God for Josh and Debby. They came during the day and helped out with the girls.

Debby reminded me to eat. Josh reminded Tyler to breathe. The girls reminded us we still had a family to take care of.

Tyler's brother Zack, and Tyler's family had been godsends helping with the girls, too. They'd take them for sleepovers or just take them out for a few hours so they could be the little kids they're supposed to be.

"Mama?" Rosie came up to me and leaned on me as I lay on the sofa.

"Yes, RosieRo?"

"Mama, I miss Sammy. When is Sammy coming home?"

Tears welled up in my eyes. I couldn't answer that. I didn't even know where she was. I didn't even know if she was still alive.

"I don't know, RosieRo," I said, crying. I didn't hide my tears from the kids. They were sad too and I needed them to know it's okay to be sad and scared and miss Samantha.

Rosie climbed up onto the sofa and curled into me. She patted my arm as she lay with me.

"Mama?"

"Yeah, Bug?" I asked.

"Is Sammy mad at me?" She asked.

"No, sweetheart," I said, pulling her into a hug. "Why would you think Samantha is mad at you?"

"She goed away and didn't say bye-bye. And she didn't call and say hi like when she was at California."

"Well, Rosie, Samantha didn't go away because she wanted to. Someone made her go away and they aren't letting us talk to Sammy."

"Why?" She asked.

"I wish I knew, my sweetheart," I said.

Rosie sighed.

"When Sammy come home, can we have a party?"

"Oh, Rosie. When Samantha comes home we will have the biggest party ever."

All I needed was to have my daughter home, alive and well.

That was all I wanted.