The Best Years

28

The car ride was dead silent. Holland had thought perhaps it would be full of tears but she found that after the torture of the past twenty-four hours, she simply had no tears left to cry.

She sighed as she propped her elbow up on the window, her chin rested on her palm as she stared out and watched the cars fly by on the highway. They'd cut the music off, something they never did and the quiet left surrounding them was eerie.

Holland was seated in the back row with Knox as Calum steered her escalade towards the airport. Her heart hurt as she thought about Chloe and wondered what she might be doing. She hated that she wasn't with them in the car, she had been so excited about meeting Calum's family. Not that she didn't love Evan and Holland's parents, she was just excited to add more people to her family.

That's what she's doing. Holland's mind reminded her. The realization stung because it was true, she was adding to her family, just not to theirs.

Thinking about Evan reminded her that she needed to call him. He'd only been by once since Knox was born. The NFL was keeping him busy, especially now with the playoffs approaching. She'd always been close to Evan and with everything going on she could use all the support she could get.

"You gonna stay in the car while I go grab them?" Cal asked, looking at her through the rearview mirror as he grabbed a parking ticket from the machine and pulled into a space in view of the airport arrival entrance.

"Yeah, probably easier than hauling him out just to put him right back in." She replied.

He gave a curt nod and stepped from the car, leaving it running so that the heat would stay on. The chilly early December win cut through his leather jacket as he moved quickly towards the entrance but it didn't phase him. Nothing could be as chilling as having to watch the daughter he loved scream for him as she was placed into a car and driven away while he was forced to stand by unable to do anything.

It had taken them nearly fifteen minutes to even find Chloe in the house, she'd hidden under the bathroom sink in an effort to stay with them. When Calum had found her she'd burst into tears and jumped into his arms, unwilling to let go until Elise had physically pried her off of him.

He'd fought off the tears, his whole body had gone numb until the sounds of her screaming for he and Holland, were muffled by the cars windows and the distance that separated them from her tear tracked face as she was driven away from them. When she was gone he'd fallen apart. He and Holland had spent the rest of the night clinging to Knox and each other. Holding on to the hope that their family would once again soon be intact.

Calum shook away the memories of Chloe's departure. He hoped that wherever she was this "Aunt Linda" lady was taking good care of his sweet girl. He knew that the six days that stretched before him were set to be some of the hardest he had endured, even with the arrival of his family only mere minutes away. The only thing that felt comparable were the times in which he and Holland had been apart. Back when they still had growing up to do and their dreams and desires had pulled them apart. Even then though he had always remained steadfast in his belief that he and Holland were meant to be together and would find their way back to one another. This was different in that this was completely out of their control.

"Calum!" An excited outburst to his left caught his attention and diverted his thoughts back to the present.

"Hi Mali." He said, opening his arms to accept his sister into them. "It's so good to see you! Where are Mum and Dad."

"It's lovely to see you. I missed you. They shouldn't be far behind, Dad was waiting on one last bag and then they should be up."

"Good."

"You going okay?" Mali asked cautiously, eyeing him. She'd always been perceptive about him. He was terrific at hiding his emotions but she had always possessed the ability to read him like a book. The only person he'd ever met better than Mali at it, being Holland.

"As good as can be expected." He answered honestly, knowing that it was of no use to lie to her.

"I'm sorry you guys are going through this." She said sympathetically.

"It's not really us we're worried about. Not knowing where Chloe is, what she's doing, if she's safe, or scared. or what. It's torture."

"I wish there was something I could do."

"Holls could probably use a friend. She's been taking it really hard."

"And you aren't?" Mali probed.

Calum released a sad chuckle. "She's blaming herself though. Thinks she should have used our last name on Chloe's gymnastics forms, maybe the lady wouldn't have found Clo that way."

"Ah, geez."

"Yeah, so maybe you two could talk or something, you guys are here for long enough. She's too scared to talk to Sierra because she doesn't want to discourage her from adopting and Crystal and Michael have had their hands full with Camp being sick. Poor kid has had the flu or something for like a week and before that she and I both were just in denial so she's kept it all bottled up. Maybe you or Mum can get her to let it out."

"You know Mum won't be afraid to try."

"That she won't" Calum agreed just as the woman they'd been speaking of appeared at the end of the hallway.

"My boy!" She said dropping her suitcase handle and cradling Calum's face in her hands as she stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. 

"Hi Mum. Dad." Calum said, tilting his chin down to greet his father before slinging an arm around his neck in a warm embrace.

"Good to see you Cal. It's been a while."

"Sorry about that, we've been crazy busy but I'm so thrilled you guys are here. Little man and his mum are out in the car waiting so let's head out. I'll help with the bags."

He grabbed his mother's suitcase from behind her and Mali's duffel from her shoulder, leading the way back to the car.

"Dibs on the back with the baby." Mali said excitedly rushing forward and crawling into the third row.

"Hi Holland!" She said warmly, leaning across the seat to offer her sister in law a hug before turning her attention to her nephew as she and Calum's parents clambered into the car.

"Oh my goodness, he's so little." Joy said with a happy smile as she saw her grandson in person for the first time.

"Such a handsome little fella. Cal you got lucky, he got all his looks from Holland." Calum's dad joked and for the first time in days Calum and Holland both cracked a smile.

AN: The Hood's are here!

What do you think Chloe is up to?

ILY,
SAV