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gallon of milk, a couple of eggs and plenty of condiments.
She made a grocery list and went out the door.
    Glancing across the street, she saw Mark's
car in the driveway. There were also more news people milling
about. She bit her lip as she climbed into her car. Wanting to help
Amanda, but not really knowing what she could do, she consoled
herself with the thought that Mark was home now and would comfort
his wife.
    The elementary school was on the way to the
store and as Stacey drove by she tried to spot Robby or Nikki among
the children running around on the playground. She had to keep
glancing at the road as she drove by, so it was with surprise that
she looked over at the schoolyard once again and saw Robby talking
through the chain-link fence to Mr. Gowen. Slowing as she passed,
she honked to get Robby's attention. He looked up from his
conversation with Mr. Gowen and waved. Mr. Gowen turned and waved
too.
    A prickle of concern worked its way up her
neck when she saw Robby talking to the old man. Stacey decided to
speak to Robby about it after school. Even though she wanted to
encourage her children to be friendly to others, at the same time
she wanted them to show caution around adults when she wasn't there
to guide them. Especially with what had happened to Kyle.
    The swift stab of fear startled her as she
thought about the real possibility of any child, especially her
own, being kidnapped. Recalling the nightmare she’d just had where
Nikki was calling to her and Stacey couldn’t find her, the feelings
of desperation and fear she’d woken with rushed back. She didn’t
ever want to have to go through that for real. Like Amanda was.
    Breathing deeply, she tried to distance
herself from the possibility of such a thing ever happening to her
family. Pushing the horrible notion out of her mind, she
concentrated on what she needed to buy at the grocery store.
    As she pulled into the grocery store lot, she
looked across the street to where her husband worked. It looked
like a slow day. The salesmen were standing around talking, waiting
for their next victim to approach. She couldn't see Jason and hoped
he was in the office making a sale.
    As much as the public disliked car salesmen
in general, that was what supported their family and she knew Jason
was the exception to the stereotype. He was a good salesman, an
honest salesman, although she knew selling cars hadn’t been his
first choice as a career.
    When they'd met in college Jason had been in
his second year, working toward a degree in business. Stacey had
only begun college and hadn't known what she wanted to do. Jason
had always wanted to open his own business, to be his own boss.
    They had married eight months after they'd
met. Stacey had become pregnant with Robby almost immediately after
the wedding and Jason had insisted on quitting school so he could
get a full-time job to support his growing family.
    She hoped one day they would be able to
afford for Jason to begin his own business. Lately he'd begun
talking about opening his own used car lot. But the way things were
going with their finances, it would be a very long time before they
could hope to reach that goal.
    Wondering if there was anything she could do
to help him reach his goal, Stacey shook her head. It’s up to him
to reach for his dream, although I could encourage him, she
realized. But I don’t want to be like Mom.
    She smiled, knowing her relationship with her
husband was much better than her parents' had been. Then, frowning
with disapproval, she thought about her parents.
    Her mother had always pressured her father to
achieve more, to provide more for their family. When he had finally
gone too far in his quest to give her all she wanted, her mother
had left him, not even understanding all he had done had been in an
attempt to please her.
    Stacey had been disappointed in her mother's
lack of ability to stand by her husband in his greatest time of
need, especially after she had been a large part