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"HELLO, YOU'VE REACHED THE BUCKLEYS. Please leave a mes - "
Eurydice hung up the phone for the fifth time that night, sighing as she slammed it onto the hook. Her artificially curled hair was disheveled from dragging her fingers through it repeatedly - a nervous habit of hers, her hands themselves were trembling and had almost dropped the phone a number of times, and her feet ached from standing in the same position for almost half an hour.
It was 10:30. And though it was a Saturday, it was unlike Amara to ever be late.
"I'm telling you, she's with Robin right now," Scott assured his wife, not glancing up from the electricity bill he was paying. "They're probably watching a movie or something. It's been a tough week for all of us."
"Wouldn't she have told me she was going to stay an extra night?" Eurydice wondered, more to herself than Scott. "She tells us everything. This isn't like her."
"Amara's a teenager, it's alright if she stays with Robin another night," said Scott, setting aside the bill and standing up to embrace Eurydice. She melted into his touch, her muscles relaxing as she wrapped her arms around his waist. But nothing could ever stop her from worrying about her youngest child, especially during a week when one kid had died and others had gone missing.
"I'm sure you're right," Eurydice whispered into the crook of his neck, her eyes closed. "I just want to confirm she's there so I can stop worrying, y'know?"
"I get it," Scott responded, pulling away but keeping his hands on his wife's shoulders. "How about we call tomorrow morning? If there's still no answer we can go and get her, but there's no use worrying now if she responds tomorrow."
Eurydice finally let a smile grace her features, grateful for her husband. Though she was uptight and overthought most things, traits of herself she had passed down to Amara, Scott always knew just how to keep her grounded. She broke away from him after a moment but clung to his hand, squeezing it lightly. "Okay."
"C'mon, let's go watch something," Scott suggested, leading Eurydice in the direction of the living room. "The bill can wait."
No sooner had Scott turned on the television did the two of them pick up on the sound of a car entering their driveway, followed by the door opening and closing as Kevin hurried inside before the chilly November air could seep into his bones. Eurydice stood up and greeted him with a hug which he gladly reciprocated, inhaling her familiar scent of fruit and vanilla.
"How was your day, Kev?" Eurydice queried as the two of them sat down, Scott still attempting to find something for them to watch.
"It was fun," Kevin responded, a smile lighting up his angular face. "I met up with the gang at Indianapolis and we went to see All the Right Moves. They went to get dinner afterward but I had to go back to Melvald's. Joyce didn't show up again today."
