Blended Family

Lin

I got a frantic call from Clarita around 10:00 one night. They'd gotten into an argument about her attitude, which was back full force, and she'd run off. She wasn't answering her cell phone. It was difficult seeing as I was hundreds of miles away. I couldn't exactly just go start looking for her. I told Clarita I'd call her and if we hadn't heard anything by morning I'd fly out.

After hanging up, I immediately called up my daughter. I understood her being upset but she knew better than to just run off and then not answer her cell phone. I left her a no-nonsense voicemail telling her to call her mother and me.

I barely slept that night. I tried calling her every hour but it kept going to voicemail. She was probably just being a moody teen but I was still a parent and worried something had happened to her. Joey still didn't know Chicago that well.

I got the first morning flight available and had to pay an exorbitant amount, but it didn't matter. My kid was missing and I needed to get there. As soon as I landed I called up Clarita. She was already downtown, looking around public places. I decided to check in with the youth hostels and hospitals. We continually called and texted her, asking her to respond. By noon I was starting to really get worried.

We decided to both head back to Clarita's to regroup and found her sitting on the couch.

"Josephine!" her mother called, her voice laced with a combination of relief and anger. She rushed to the couch and pulled her into a tight hug. I walked over slowly, relieved, my hands tucked in my pockets.

Clarita pulled back, tears streaming down her face as she straightened our daughter's hair. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," she said softly, seeming in a daze.

"Why didn't you answer our calls and texts?" I asked her firmly, crossing my arms.

"I turned it off," she told me.

"You know better than to just disappear and not check in with us. This was incredibly irresponsible. I flew in on a red-eye because we were both so worried."

"Sorry," she said quietly, looking down.

I sighed, my frustration immediately melting away. I walked over and sat on the other side of her, pulling her into my own hug. I pressed a kiss to her head. I don't think she'd washed it recently and she was dirty from being out all night.

"Where did you go?" I asked her.

"A youth hostel," she told me. "I left really early."

"Have you eaten?" I asked, and she shook her head. I sighed. "Go take a shower and get in some fresh clothes. I'll make us all pancakes and then we'll talk."

She nodded and stood up, then wandered back to her bedroom. I looked back at my ex, and the full frustration of the situation was coming back to her.

"Is she still not showering?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Only every couple days. I almost have to force her."

"And have you taken her to counseling?" I asked.

"I can't make her go, Lin," she insisted. "I'm too big to physically make her."

"Then I will," I decided, frustrated that Clarita hadn't gotten her to go. "I'll stay as long as it takes and I'll physically take her."

"She's not gonna like that," Clarita pointed out.

"Yeah, I know," I said. I didn't like having to be forceful with our daughter, but she was leaving us no choice. She wasn't taking care of herself and now her grades were dropping. "It's called parenting."