A New Family (A Ghost Bird Story)

Marc

Marc POV

After I spoke to those boys this morning I didn't know what to do. Did he say Dr. Green? Surely that man wasn't a doctor. He looked far too young.

I run upstairs and go into Sang's room. It is always locked but this time the door opens easily after I knock. Her room is usually immaculate. She doesn't have much in the way of belongings; she says that it interferes with her concentration, but what she does have is strewn across the room. Her books are torn from her bookshelf and the sheets ripped off the bed. It even looks like the mattress was moved.

Slowly I back out of the room and go back downstairs. Emily is still sleeping and I don't wish to disturb her. I don't want to see her right now as it is. I don't know what I would say. Do I accuse her or wait until after I see Sang?

I am supposed to take Sang to registration. I know that Ryan and Marie didn't want me hanging around them today at school anyway; I was just going to go for Sang.

Walking quickly past Emily's and my room, I get to Ryan's and knock softy on his door. There is a grunt from his side that I take to be a "come in" so I enter. I bend down and nudge the lump that is my son. "Ryan?"

He groans. "We don't have to be there for hours. What are you doing?"

"You and Marie can go in your car, okay?" I say as I start to leave the room.

"What? Really? Why?" Ryan sits up and rubs his eyes as he questions me.

"Sang's not here so she doesn't need a ride and you guys didn't want me going with you anyway. So you might as well go on your own. Be safe, okay?" I turn back around to look him in the eye.

He gets a twinkle in his eye as he asks. "Sang isn't here?"

"No. You didn't know? Apparently she hasn't been here since Thursday." I am starting to get angry. How did none of them notice? Didn't they notice that she wasn't coming to eat with them? Or that they didn't see her or hear her around the house?

"Well, Emily said that she was grounded. I just assumed she was in her room when I didn't see her around."

Ryan looks upset, shifty even. But he always seems protective of Sang.

"I'll be out most of the day. Call if you need anything." I just can't be here, not until I talk to Sang and find out what is going on.

***

I get the text from Sang around four. Waiting all day was excruciating. I went into the home office to try and get some paperwork done while I waited. I was able to work on some of the papers I would need to do next week, so at least I am ahead with work.

5:30 I had better get going. It's a twenty minute drive back toward home. The address she gave me is at the end of our road where an old church is being gutted. I have driven by there many times since we moved here.

5:55 I have been sitting in the parking lot of the church for five minutes and I have been thinking about this all day. What do I say to her? Do I even believe her?

I met Emily a little over a year ago at a grocery store near my home. I was just in the aisle buying soap when I smelled this amazing scent. It was her. She was putting on hand cream and was just about to put it in her basket. I thought she looked beautiful. With brown hair and brown eyes. 

So I spoke to her. She was charming. We went on several dates and then we had the kids meet. Emily made a bond with Ryan right away; one his mother never even had. Marie has always been a bit standoffish with me no matter what I tried, but I adored Sang from the moment I met her. She is all light and happiness.