Finding My Way Home

Chapter 22

Diane

The conversation with my parents weighs heavily on my mind. What time is it? It's one in the morning, and I am so upset, sleep escapes me. I don't want to wake Steve and Catherine, but I need to get out of here for a few minutes. I get dressed and quietly leave the house. I am so distracted by the conversation repeatedly looping in my mind that I fail to notice where I am walking. Oh god, it's so dark, I have no idea where I am, and I don't have my phone with me. I'm lost and suddenly terrified. I find the first safe place to sit and hide the best I can. I don't want anyone seeing me out at night, by myself. I'm in a park, and it's very dark. I'm hiding behind a bench, lying on the wet grass. What have I done?

Ethan

I hear the house phone ringing. What the hell time is it? I look at the clock, and it's two in the morning. There are only two reasons why my phone would ring at this ungodly hour, and neither of them is good. I reach out for the receiver. "Yeah. Who is this and why are you calling at this hour?"

My mother's screaming voice pierces through my sleep addled brain. "Ethan, I need you. Diane is not in the house. I don't know where she is, and she doesn't have her cell phone with her."

I am instantly awake. "Mom, calm down and start from the beginning, please."

I hear my mother take several deep breaths. "I was worried about her after the altercation with her parents. I couldn't sleep, so I went over to the house to speak to her. The light was on in her room, and I thought she was still awake. When I got to the front door, it was partially open. I went back to get your dad, and when we walked into the house, I didn't see anything strange. I thought maybe we forgot to close the door."

"When we went into Diane's room, she wasn't there. Your father searched the house, and she's not here. Both cell phones are on the table by the bed. We have to call the police. She's out there somewhere all alone with no phone. Oh, Ethan, I'm scared. Why would she leave the house?"

If I live to be one hundred, I will never forget the paralyzing fear that I feel at this moment. My wife is out there somewhere, alone and probably scared out of her mind. "Mom, I need you to come over here and stay with the kids. I'll be at your house in five minutes. Is Dad still there?"

"Yes, he's here."

"Put him on the phone."

Several seconds pass. "Dad, did you check the entire house, and the yard."

"Yeah. That's the first thing I checked. Diane's not here. What the hell made her leave the house at night?"

"I don't know, but something upset her. What other reason would she have to leave the house at night? Why didn't she call me? That's the reason why I gave her the second phone. Do you think she went for a walk and got lost?"

"Possibly. Get over here quickly, and we'll patrol the neighborhood. We'll find Diane, Ethan. I swear we will find her."

Ten minutes later, I am in my car. My father is behind me, and we part ways at the end of the culdesac. He goes East, and I go West. We are in constant contact by phone. My mind focuses on every possible scenario, and none of them are good. Where the hell is she? I feel like I am driving in circles. It's still dark and my night vision sucks. I've resorted to turning on the high beams, and wouldn't you know it, at this time of the morning, a fucking police car flashes his lights at me. I pull over and reach for my wallet.

"Sir, may I see your drivers license and registration? You are driving with your high beams on, and why are you circling the neighborhood at three-thirty in the morning?"

I give the police officer my identification, and he flashes a light in my face, then looks at my license. He recognizes me.

"Dr. Miller. Is there a problem?"