ALANA'S MISTAKE ✔

Chapter 34

Snow wasn't in the house. She should have be in the house ... Noah should have picked her up by now from school. Alana could barely breath, she could barely see straight. She held the three envelopes in her hand, each one full to bursting, but didn't open them - she stuffed them inside her handbag instead. Before anything else, she needed her daughter at her side.

She headed back out of the front door and began to run towards Snow's school. It was a few minutes away on foot so it didn't take too long for Alana to end up at the school gates, panting. She scanned the kids who were all around the playground, some greeting their mothers or their fathers, some chatting and playing in small groups.

'Have you seen Snow?' she said breathlessly, grabbing the arm of one of the teachers, Miss Pimberry.

'Yes, yes. She's right here.'

Miss Pimberry stood aside to reveal Snow standing there with her lunch box in one hand and a colouring book in the other.

'Thank god,' said Alana, bending down to scoop Snow up into her arms.

She breathed a long sigh of relief, cuddling her, feeling her soft curls on her cheek.

'Thank god, thank god, thank god.'

'Mummy, are you ok?' said Snow. 'What are you doing here?'

'I'm here for you, darling. I just wanted to see you, that's all.'

She gave Snow a bright but shaky smile and took her hand tightly in hers. A few moments later Noah showed up in front of them.

'I thought it was my turn today?' he said, looking bemused.

Alana could hardly look at him. He was here, as usual, picking up their daughter from school. A normal, innocent day. And here she was chasing her daughter down, fearing that she may have been taken by the psychopath she idiotically spent a night with a few weeks ago - the same guy who she was convinced had done something with Riley. All this was going on and he still had no idea. She pushed her hair behind her ear with her free hand and lifted her eyes towards him.

'I just ... I needed to know where she was.'

Noah frowned, reaching out for Alana's arm.

'Come on, let's go.'

They all walked out of the school yard and began to head for home. It was obvious, to Alana, that he knew something was wrong. He looked at her with concern and confusion in his eyes. his thick eyebrows knotted and he wasn't smiling like he usually did.

Sure enough, as they walked along he began to ask her what was wrong, why did she look so tired? Was she afraid of something? Snow just looked up at them innocently as they talked, Alana desperately trying to brush off his questioning. But inside she was screaming: What has happened to Riley? What has Elias done with her?  She kept checking around to see if anyone was there. Noah noticed that too. 

By the time they got home Alana knew that she had no choice left. She was going to have to tell him. Things had gone too far now.

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